Geolocation and compliance technology supplier GeoComply has announced a $200,000 donation to Conscious Gaming, the philanthropic organization it set up to protect consumers and enhance responsible gaming, in support of its deployment of self-exclusion tool PlayPause.
Conscious Gaming was set up by GeoComply to align all industry stakeholders’ responsible gaming needs and created a standardized baseline to share nationally. The organization aims to unite the industry in order to solve the challenges created by differing requirements state-by-state, it said.
With the initial $200,000 donation, Conscious Gaming will be able to ramp up the development, industry outreach and deployment efforts around PlayPause, its multi-state self-exclusion tool created to modernize and strengthen existing responsible gaming programs.
Major operators Entain and BetMGM have already committed to utilizing the tool, and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board became the first state regulator to deploy it.
According to GeoComply, PlayPause will expand the protective self-exclusion bubble so that players remain protected when moving from one state to another, while empowering operators to strengthen their responsible gaming programs and make more data-driven decisions.
The tool will also streamline the administrative burden and eliminate the silos associated with maintaining several separate state-operated self-exclusion databases, it said.
GeoComply’s chair and co-founder, Anna Sainsbury, commented: “We have been very fortunate at GeoComply to have a front seat to the growth of the iGaming industry across the United States over the past decade,”
“We recognize with this growth comes challenges and GeoComply is proud to commit funding to Conscious Gaming to help the industry fulfill its responsibilities and obligations to responsible gaming and a safe environment for players.”
Seth Palansky, vice president of social responsibility and communications at Conscious Gaming added that: “The interest and momentum for PlayPause from operators and regulators since the launch has been tremendous,”
“This donation from GeoComply will help us scale our efforts and help drive the adoption of PlayPause throughout the U.S. iGaming industry in 2021.”
GeoComply launched PlayPause in September 2020, with the intention to provide the tool free-of-charge to operators. The launch coincided with the American Gaming Association’s Responsible Gambling Week from 15-20 September.