An essential element of responsible online gambling is the ability for players to self-exclude themselves from online casinos. Self-exclusion allows players to give themselves a mandatory break from gambling and is a vital tool for preventing some people from becoming problem gamblers.
Recently, GeoComply launched a system that allows gamblers in the United States to self-exclude from all legal online gambling sites in the United States, regardless of where they are located. This system will help remove the temptation of players going to another state to gamble online.
GeoComply Launches PlayPause Tool
Legal online gambling has become even safer, thanks to the launch of GeoCoply’s latest tool. PlayPause will give players the ability to self-exclude in multiple legal states and from multiple operators. Before the launch of PlayPause, an online casino gambler in New Jersey could self-exclude and then go to Pennsylvania and begin playing again.
With PlayPause, a player can self-exclude, and that information will propagate to all legal states in the GeoComply network. Presently, there are legal online casinos in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Legal online poker is available in Nevada, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
Players can also self-exclude from sportsbooks in the United States. This will prove invaluable as numerous states now have sports betting or will launch sports betting in the upcoming year.
The tool is not just for self-exclusion. Operators can also use data from the program to help identify problem gamblers, allowing the operators to step in before they develop a serious gambling addiction.
The release of this tool could not have come at a better time, especially considering the rise in online gambling thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. States like New Jersey are experiencing record revenues with New Jersey posting record months for both sports betting and online casinos gambling.
Other states, such as Michigan, are looking to accelerate the launch of online gambling or online sports betting. It is expected that Michigan will launch sports betting and online gambling in late 2020 or early 2021. Virginia recently approved sports betting regulations. West Virginia is looking to launch online casino gambling soon.
Nationwide Self-Exclusion a Necessary Step to Protecting Gamblers
When the legal US online gambling market was just a couple of states, the need for a nationwide self-exclusion network was negligible. With the number of states now beginning to approach double digits for online casino gambling, the time to enact such as system is now.
By the end of 2021, we should see West Virginia, Michigan, Virginia, and select other states all online with one form of gambling or another. The pandemic will also likely open the doors for the legalization of online casino gambling in 2021 in other states.
Just look at Australia. Despite the country enacting an online casino ban, the nation still saw a 67% jump in online gambling traffic during the pandemic. Legal US states are enjoying record numbers, and with a second wave of COVID-19 predicted for the Winter, the appetite for online gambling will grow.
With more players, there will be more chances for problem gambling. PlayPause is a necessary tool to give players a way to help protect themselves when they feel they cannot reasonably avoid gambling online.
