Keith Whyte: No revolution without resistance

After decades of tireless advocacy, grassroots organizing and research from recovery-focused organizations, the US gambling market may finally be on the verge of a responsible gambling (RG) revolution. What was once a relatively quiet undercurrent – pushed forward by generations of people in recovery and nonprofit leaders in the problem gambling (PG) field – now feels like a tipping point. And like many revolutions, this one carries costs and benefits. But make no mistake: for players and families, the benefits far outweigh the risks.

The tech-driven gamble

The gambling industry has always been an early adopter of technology. From virtual reel mapping to the first online casinos to AI-driven player profiling, operators have consistently leveraged emerging tools to maximize revenue. This pursuit of innovation, especially following the 2018 overturning of PASPA and the rapid spread of legalized online sports betting, has also heightened risks.

We’ve seen an increase not just in gambling participation and revenue, but also in the frequency and severity of gambling-related problems. Technology has made gambling faster, easier and more immersive – but also riskier, particularly for vulnerable individuals such as young, male sports bettors.

But now, that same technological energy is beginning to surge into the RG and PG spaces. The shift is both overdue and full of potential. The tools exist; what’s needed now is the will – and the investment – to revolutionize responsible gambling.

Positive disruption: Four ways tech is changing the game for good

The idea of “creative disruption” is often associated with Silicon Valley start-ups, but it’s time to reframe that idea for responsible gambling. These four tech-enabled approaches are already reshaping the landscape:

Once clunky and largely paper-based, enforcement-focused and jurisdictionally-limited, self-exclusion has been modernized with digital platforms that allow players to opt out of gambling across multiple operators with just a few clicks. With biometric ID verification and real-time enforcement, these tools provide more effective and user-friendly pathways for those ready to step away. Providers like IDPair are working with states, Tribes and operators to implement the National Voluntary Self Exclusion Program, removing barriers and streamlining the process.

Programs like BetBlocker allow users to block access to thousands of gambling websites and apps across devices. These tools are increasingly being integrated into operator offerings and even prescribed by clinicians as part of treatment. Making them freely accessible through public health channels would expand their reach even further.

Access to specialized gambling treatment has long been limited by geography and stigma. Telehealth has changed that. Virtual counseling platforms now allow people to receive expert help from the privacy of their homes. This is especially crucial for those in rural, frontier and underserved areas or those hesitant to walk into a clinic. Companies like Birches Health specialize in problem gambling and are covered by insurance.

New mobile apps are providing real-time support, community forums and self-monitoring tools for those in recovery. Some use AI to detect relapse triggers and prompt intervention. These are not a replacement for therapy but can be a powerful complement – and a lifeline between sessions. Apps such as RecoverMe and Revive offer users evidence-based empowerment.

Each of these tools on its own is unlikely to be a silver bullet, but taken together they provide more layers of protection in the safety net. They supplement and strengthen, not replace, traditional self-help meetings (now increasingly available online as well) and in-person counseling.

Barriers to progress and how to break through

Of course, no revolution is without resistance. Challenges are still abound. Scaling pilot programs into nationwide systems requires serious investment, and many innovative tools remain trapped in the early stages due to a lack of funding or outcome evaluations. Massive cutbacks in federal health funding and looming economic uncertainty will have direct and indirect impacts on both public and private support, as problem gambling programs are traditionally last, least-funded and first-cut. Some regulators and state health agencies have hesitated to embrace tech-based solutions, driven by understandable caution. After all, we are dealing with an extremely vulnerable population, and untested interventions can do more harm than good.

But, in many cases, this caution has slowed progress to a snail’s pace. The speed of change in the commercial gambling world demands a comparable pace from those charged with protecting the public. Nonprofit organizations and treatment providers must also evolve, moving from analog models to digital-first approaches that reflect how people live and seek help today.

It’s time to bridge the innovation gap. That means investing not just in technology but in rigorous evaluation, public-private partnerships and infrastructure that supports long-term sustainability. It also means listening to people with lived experience – many of whom are leading the charge for more modern, accessible and humane systems of support.

A new social contract for gambling

This moment presents an opportunity to redefine the social contract around gambling in the US. We can continue to allow technology to drive risk unchecked – or we can redirect its power across what I have termed the PETERRR approach to a comprehensive public health approach to problem gambling: Prevention, Education, Treatment, Enforcement, Responsible Gambling, Research, and Recovery.

We know how to do this. The building blocks are already in place. We have examples from successful campaigns in other fields. What’s needed now is bold leadership, not just from the gambling industry, but from regulators, health agencies and tech entrepreneurs who see RG as more than a compliance requirement – as an economic and ethical imperative, a pathway to safer and sustainable gambling and a strategic advantage.

Positive disruption is possible. In fact, it’s already underway. The question is whether we’ll accelerate it fast enough to meet the moment – or let it slip away. For the sake of gamblers, their families, their communities and all stakeholders in the gambling industry itself, the time to act is now.

Carlos Mendez

Writer

Odds tell a story long before the result does. When bettors learn to read that story properly, betting becomes a matter of discipline and value rather than emotion or guesswork.

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