Conscious Gaming establishes new advisory board

Conscious Gaming has appointed three members to its newly created advisory board to strengthen responsible gaming and exclusion programs across regulated iGaming and sports betting markets in the United States.

Conscious Gaming’s new advisory board will guide efforts to build technical solutions based on evidence-based research to better help people deal with gambling-related problems and provide the industry with preventative tools.

The advisory board members are Brett Abarbanel PhD, who serves as director of research at UNLV’s International Gaming Institute, assistant professor at William F. Harrah College of Hospitality, and research affiliate at University of Sydney.

She is joined by Debi LaPlante PhD, director of the Division on Addiction at Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School Teaching Hospital, and an assistant professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School (HMS).

The final member is Kahlil Philander PhD, assistant professor of Hospitality Business Management at Washington State University.

“In order to shape our initiatives and achieve our goals, it is imperative we collaborate with leading academic organizations and stakeholders dedicated to responsible gaming policy and the prevention of problem gambling,” said Conscious Gaming trustee Anna Sainsbury.

“We are honored these incredibly accomplished individuals have agreed to come aboard and help us tackle the challenges in front of us. Individually, they are among the best in the world, and combining their talents and expertise on the Conscious Gaming board can open up tremendous opportunities for us to pursue in the future.”

Dr. Abarbanel said of her new role: “Gambling in the US is going through massive growth, in which platforms compete to create the most appealing digital gambling experiences.

“I value the opportunity to assist Conscious Gaming in applying their vast, advanced technological knowledge to a variety of important social responsibility initiatives in the gambling space, with the shared goal of developing a sustainable environment.”

Dr. LaPlante said: “I’m eager to help Conscious Gaming think about how to build new technology-based solutions for mitigating gambling-related problems.

“At the Division on Addiction, I work to alleviate addiction-related burdens through my research and other activities. I look forward to applying evidence-based insights to Conscious Gaming’s development efforts.”

Dr. Philander added: “I’m pleased to join Conscious Gaming in their mission to strengthen responsible gambling programs. We know that self-exclusion programs have helped thousands of people regain control of their gambling problems, and PlayPause will transform the reach and effectiveness of these programs.

“As the gaming industry continues to grow and change, responsible gambling programs need to evolve too.”