FanDuel sportsbook has announced a new partnership with former NBA player and current basketball coach, Randy Livingston, along with his wife, sports agent Anita Smith, to create a responsible gambling program in honor of September marking Responsible Gaming Education Month.
Trusted Voices: Conversations About Betting provides educational resources, including a video series on the risks of underage gambling, the importance of proactive, informed conversations and where to seek help or learn more.
In the video series, Livingston and Smith detail his journey as a five-star prep phenom who went on to play several years in the NBA while also struggling with problem gambling. Livingston shares the story of his initial exposure to gambling, his “rock-bottom” moment and his journey to recovery with the help of his wife.
"As legal sports betting continues to become more accessible, I knew I wanted to use my experience to help families engage in proactive and informed conversations about gambling," Livingston said.
"It became apparent to me and Anita that FanDuel shares our goal of helping parents navigate these tough, but important conversations."
Alison Kutler, VP of Responsible Gaming and Community Impact at FanDuel, shared why the operator had the desire to collaborate with Livingston and Smith, having said, "Randy and Anita have an incredible story and a desire to help others, and we are excited to expand our advocacy program to raise awareness of the importance of having early and informed family conversations about gambling and the associated risks.
"FanDuel aims to set and continuously raise the standard for what it means to be a responsible operator, and we look forward to Randy and Anita strengthening our RG ambassador team moving forward."
This new program and resource hub is designed to equip trusted adults, including parents, guardians and coaches, with tools and resources to talk to young people about gambling, associated risks, how to recognize warning signs and where to go for support.
Livingston and Smith said that they hope their family's story will help others going through similar experiences, and they have created educational resources for individuals to learn more about the risks of gambling, warning signs to look out for and how to begin gambling-related family conversations.
