More Money More Problems
Responsible gambling and problem gambling are better-funded than ever (but still not properly funded), but how that money is being spent is coming under scrutiny.
The Bulletin Board
NEWS: Funding for responsible and problem gambling has increased in recent years, but the efficacy of the funded programs is being called into question.
BEYOND the HEADLINE: It’s time for new ideas.
NEWS: ESPN Bet launch week is upon us. Here’s what we know.
BEYOND the HEADLINE: ESPN Bet tries to nip potential insider information scandals in the bud via new sports betting guidelines.
NEWS: PrizePicks launches a new free-to-play game in Michigan.
AROUND the WATERCOOLER: Now that’s a parlay! Florida sports betting brings out the big bettors.
STRAY THOUGHTS: Experts and transferrable knowledge.
SPONSOR’S MESSAGE - Underdog: the most innovative company in sports gaming.
At Underdog we use our own tech stack to create the industry’s most popular games, designing products specifically for the American sports fan.
Join us as we build the future of sports gaming.
Visit: https://underdogfantasy.com/careers
Is RG and PG Funding Being Spent Wisely?
An article in NHPR.com (New Hampshire Public Radio) sent some smoke southward, casting a critical eye on Massachusetts with an article titled, Despite millions of dollars earmarked for gambling treatment in Massachusetts, few in state get help.
Here is an excerpt from the article, which really should be read in full and carefully examined by everyone even tangentially associated with RG:
Treatment and prevention was supposed to be a cornerstone of the state’s 2011 casino legislation. According to national surveys, Massachusetts has designated more money for that purpose than any other state.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission reports there’s $24 million in a Public Health Trust Fund… The commission itself uses a quarter of the fund on research and responsible gambling efforts.
The rest — somewhere between $11 and 18 million a year, depending on which agency you ask — is in the hands of the state Department of Public Health.
The article goes on to ask the question, “Is the money being spent where it should be?” It then delves into the numbers, detailing how “only a tiny fraction of” the estimated 500,000 problem and at-risk gamblers are in treatment and noting “the state does not track how many.”
“But their treatment numbers are abysmal,” Keith Whyte, the head of the National Council on Problem Gambling, told NHPR.com. “In spite of the fact that the amount of money that’s going into the system is historic.”
There is also an issue with accurate resources stemming from a lack of upkeep:
Out of the six individual therapists in the greater Springfield area listed by the helpline, one said he’s not taking new patients, two had non-working numbers, and three didn’t return our calls. Searching on the helpline’s website got similar results.
“It's a point of frustration, to be candid,” said Phil Sherwood with the Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health. “We have found a lot of the resources on the DPH Office of Problem Gambling to be outdated, inaccurate and incomplete.”
Beyond the Headline: There Has to Be a Better Way
The NHPR article is a really good look behind the curtain. Based on the quotes in the article, there is a disconnect in the RG community regarding how people seek help (primarily through Reddit, podcasts, and social media) and a misguided belief that more resources and outreach will solve the problem.
People aren’t using the available resources (some of which are frustratingly out-of-date), and the answer isn’t to double and triple down on them.
As Jamie Salsburg tweeted the following:
In a prior tweet, he noted he could “recommend several ideas to improve uptake and outcomes. However, like the gamblers they try to reach, they have to want the help.”
And let’s be clear: not getting a very good ROI is a problem nationwide.
I previously touched on Michigan’s Don’t Regret the Bet program run by the Michigan Gambling Control Board, noting the many friction points it creates.
I purposefully omitted a vital element of the story to limit the criticism to one specific thing. As Bonus.com reported, Michigan’s FY2024 budget allocates “$3 million of ongoing, annual funding will support the continuation of the MGCB’s “Don’t Regret the Bet” responsible gaming messaging campaign.”
That’s apparently what $3 million in funding gets you: 60,000 visitors and 401 PDF downloads over six months. This three-month-old newsletter has had 30,000 views in the last 30 days.
Sponsorship opportunity
Want to sponsor the fastest-growing newsletter in the gambling space? Straight to the Point has multiple sponsorship opportunities available.
Reach out to Steve at iGamingPundit.com for more details.
A Look Ahead to Tomorrow’s Launch of ESPN Bet
The ESPN Bet app is slated to launch in 17 states tomorrow, and following last week’s ESPN Edge media event, we have a better understanding of what to expect.
Integration
According to Penn CEO Jay Snowden, ESPN Bet users can put together betting slips in the media app. “You place your bet, and we seamlessly move you over to theScoreBet in Canada or ESPN Bet here.”
Snowden also said sports betting odds and personalized prop bets will be integrated into ESPN’s fantasy apps in the coming weeks or months.
Other “in-development” integrations include ESPN’s coverage of major sports events like March Madness and the Super Bowl.
The slide deck called this a “seamless experience,” with Snowden saying fans want a frictionless experience.
Marketing
In addition to the integrations, ESPN Bet will rely on some of the company’s on-air talent to market the app. That push will begin with commercials featuring Scott Van Pelt and Elle Duncan in the spirit of the company’s highly successful This is SportsCenter ads.
ESPN will also be offering a contest to win an exclusive trip to ESPN Bristol Headquarters by simply providing an email address, with the caveat that you must be in one of the 17 sports betting states the app is available.
First Look
We’ve known for a while that ESPN Bet is little more than a refreshed version of the Barstool Sportsbook (cosmetic changes), utilizing theScore’s proprietary tech. The app was posted to X by Ryan Butler.
Beyond the Headline: Insiders Restricted From Betting
ESPN is attempting to get ahead of the inevitable accusations of insider information. In guidelines released on Friday, ESPN put forth its policy aimed at the network’s insiders.
The prohibited betting activities include:
Do not use, disclose, or provide access to non-public information that you have been exposed to as part of your job (“Confidential Information”), for any betting-related purposes, including influencing others to place bets or disclosing such information to any sportsbook operator. This includes but is not limited to: (a) a player’s injury status or participation in a game or event; or (b) any other information about officials, players, coaches or management.
Do not place bets on games or events you are assigned to work or cover. For example, production personnel or journalists working on-site or off-site at or on a sporting event must abstain from betting on that particular game or event.
Talent designated as Reporters and Insiders are prohibited from placing, soliciting, or facilitating any bet on the properties (e.g., NFL, college football, NBA) they regularly cover. Employees who learn Confidential Information from Reporters or Insiders should never use such information for betting-related purposes.
Employees who manage the Company’s business relationships with sports leagues or properties on a day-to-day basis are prohibited from betting on those sports leagues or properties.
The guidelines also try to cover the “gray” areas that will likely arise:
Be extra cautious about certain types of bets. [ESPN singled out league awards, draft selections, and trades.]
Uphold our journalistic integrity.
Avoid conflicts of interest.
No illegal gambling. Employees are strictly prohibited from participating in or facilitating any form of illegal sports betting, including underage betting. Sports betting remains illegal in many states and jurisdictions.
ESPN may place further sports betting restrictions on any employee at any time in its sole discretion.
PrizePicks Unveils Free-to-Play Offering in MI
Following a crackdown on DFS 2.0 operators in the state, PrizePicks announced the launch of a free-to-play version of its daily fantasy sports game in Michigan.
Per the press release, “Each player will be given 1,000 PrizePoints daily that can be used to make picks throughout that day’s sporting schedule… The top 100 scorers within the state will win a share of the day’s prize.”
“This new free-to-play format is the first of new game types to come and opens the door for us to reach sports fans who may not already be familiar with PrizePicks,” said Brian Huss, VP of Innovation, PrizePicks.
As noted, Michigan regulators updated their rules to prohibit fantasy sports contests that mimic prop betting or sports betting. That caused PrizePicks to announce it would cease to offer paid contests on November 10, replacing them with free-to-play options.
The other major players in the DFS 2.0 space, Sleeper and Underdog (a newsletter sponsor), were not operating in Michigan.
Around the Watercooler
Social media conversations, rumors, and gossip.
Hard Rock Bet is not limiting Florida bettors (at least not these bettors), as it accepted a $500,000 four-leg parlay that hit for a whopping $6 million, per ESPN’s David Purdum.
That prompted a response from Matt Primeaux, and I believe the answer is yes.
Purdum wrote a column about the parlay and a bettor that risked a combined $1.5 million on Kent State - Kent State didn’t even give the bettor a sweat, falling behind 28-6 at the half and losing to Bowling Green 49-19.
Stray Thoughts
I had the extreme honor of teaching two martial arts seminars this weekend. Whenever I teach a seminar, I am struck by how many lifelong martial artists look like beginners when encountering a new idea. The same is true when I take a seminar on something utterly foreign to me (wrist locks, for example). It shouldn’t be that different, but it is. I catch on pretty quickly, but it looks like it’s my first day during the first few goes at the technique.
That has me thinking about experts and the transferability of knowledge, as it seems like so many people in the gambling industry are self-described experts in every part of the industry. One example is the notion that understanding the bettor’s side of the sportsbook counter translates to the book’s side. But the difference is as vast as a wrist lock and shooting a double leg.