American college students will soon have access to a comprehensive, evidence-based, responsible gaming (RG) education program tailored to university students’ unique needs. The new program is a joint effort between the Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA), EPIC Global Solutions (EGS), Kindbridge Behavioral Health (KBH), and the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC).
The college-focused campaign will leverage digital delivery tools to provide RG and financial literacy education to students across the US starting in early 2025. Fittingly, the announcement comes in September, which is Responsible Gaming Education Month (RGEM) in the US.
In the release announcing the coming campaign, ROGA executive director Dr. Jennifer Shatley said the program will be available to students across diverse campuses and demographics—not just college athletes.
A main goal of ROGA is to promote responsible gaming education and awareness across various audiences, including the college-aged demographic. While there are already great programmes focused on student-athletes, there are very few resources currently available to the broader university student population.
To fill that gap, ROGA is proud to collaborate with organizations that bring diverse expertise and experience to create awareness programs that resonate with college-aged audiences, said Shatley.
Our aim is to provide much-needed information and resources about responsible gaming concepts, raise awareness of the consequences associated with problem gambling and available support services, and teach general financial literacy skills that will help students build and maintain good financial habits whether they choose to engage in gaming or not.
Informed Decisions, Realistic Expectations Key Goals
ROGA, which Shatley leads, is an independent trade association created to “advance and promote” responsible gaming practices. BetMGM, bet365, DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel, Hard Rock Digital, and Penn Entertainment established the advocacy group last March. In June, Bally’s signed on as the association’s eighth member.
Per the announcement, the new education program will boost awareness of RG concepts to help college students make informed decisions and set realistic expectations. Another key aspect will be destigmatizing and humanizing problem gambling by integrating the lived experience of those affected.
Teresa Fiore, EPIC’s VP of partnerships, said this multi-faceted strategy is necessary today.
Having delivered in-person education to over 50,000 NCAA student-athletes and staff, EPIC Global Solutions is delighted to work with ROGA to extend this important message to all college students. By combining expert knowledge with personal stories of those who have experienced gambling-related harm, this education is critical for young adults coming of age in a post-PASPA world.
Critically, the program will support students navigating newfound independence by equipping them with financial management skills and highlighting the risks associated with debt. Further, by relating responsible play to good financial habits, the program will teach students who gamble to set limits and treat gaming as entertainment.
Daniel Umfleet, founder and CEO of Kindbridge, said his team understands university students’ unique challenges when balancing life and academics.
Partnering with ROGA on this national education campaign is a crucial step toward providing young adults with the tools and knowledge they need to make informed, financially responsible decisions about gaming. By focusing on education and promoting a balanced approach to student life, we aim to support healthier gaming habits and overall well-being on campuses across the country.
Program Open to All College-Aged Youth, Enrolled or Not
Notably, other aspects of the program will “address common myths and misperceptions” about gaming, like the illusion of control—particularly related to sports betting.
Lessons will also explain mathematical concepts, including odds, probability, and randomness, the latter of which is most relevant to retail and online casino gaming. The hope is to foster a “well-rounded understanding of decision-making and risk-taking” to benefit college-aged gamblers.
Shelley White, RGC’s outgoing CEO, said the organization is thrilled to have the chance to reach so many students.
For over 20 years, RGC has worked with young adults, post-secondary institutions, and leaders to understand the unique needs of this priority population. All RGC prevention programmes are evidence-based and customised to resonate with this hard-to-reach audience – through the message itself and how it’s communicated. We are thrilled to be partnering with the Responsible Online Gaming Association to speak to an even larger number of students with our prevention outreach messaging.
Notably, to increase accessibility and reach, digital delivery tools will be broadly available to anyone in the college-age demographic—whether a student or not.
However, the program will also work directly with select universities to “pilot extended content and interactive tools.” This effort, the release explains, will help evaluate and inform the offering moving forward. Supplemental content will also focus on the specific needs of college athletes.
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