The discussion in New York wasn\u2019t a gambling industry event. It was a brain health event. <\/strong>The room included researchers, policymakers, public health experts and representatives from many different sectors, which is precisely why it mattered.<\/p>\n\n\n\nToo often, gambling talks to itself. We attend gambling conferences, speak to gambling media, and debate issues with people who already understand the industry. Those conversations are important, but they aren\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What made New York valuable was the opportunity to listen and contribute in a broader forum focused on how people interact with digital products, entertainment experiences and emerging technologies. These are issues that extend far beyond gambling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Play\u2019n GO has long argued that great entertainment should be fun, safe and fair, and participating in discussions around brain health, consumer wellbeing and sustainable digital experiences is a natural extension of that philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The industry benefits when we engage constructively with experts from outside our own ecosystem and when we help ensure policy discussions are informed by evidence rather than assumptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some people might wonder what a casino entertainment company is doing at an event focused on brain health. What\u2019s your response to that?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI\u2019d actually turn the question around and ask why we wouldn\u2019t be there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reality is that gambling increasingly exists within a much broader digital ecosystem. The boundaries between entertainment, gaming, technology and consumer experiences continue to blur. <\/strong>If serious conversations are taking place about digital wellbeing, brain health and sustainable consumer engagement, then our industry should be represented.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNot because we\u2019re looking for approval, but because we have experience and insights that can contribute to those discussions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s encouraging is that conversations like these have moved beyond simplistic narratives. Brain health is an enormously complex field. Researchers are looking at everything from social media to gaming, digital services, AI and entertainment experiences. The discussion is increasingly about understanding behaviour and creating environments that support positive outcomes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThat\u2019s where Play\u2019n GO can contribute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve spent twenty years building entertainment products for regulated markets, and we\u2019ve consistently argued that sustainable growth comes from putting long-term player experiences ahead of short-term opportunism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those principles are becoming increasingly relevant in wider conversations about digital entertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n“Too often, gambling talks to itself. We attend gambling conferences, speak to gambling media, and debate issues with people who already understand the industry. Those conversations are important, but they aren’t enough.”<\/p>\nAndrew Pink, head of brand & communication at Play’n GO.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nJust a week earlier, Play\u2019n GO brought together industry leaders for a closed-door meeting in France for discussions around trust, transparency and the future of gambling. Was there a connection between the conversations in France and those in New York?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nAbsolutely. On the surface, they might look like very different events. One was an industry leadership forum in France and the other was a policy and brain health discussion in New York. But at their core, they were addressing many of the same questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In France, we spent a great deal of time discussing trust, transparency, sustainability and what the industry\u2019s future licence to operate looks like. There was a strong consensus that gambling companies can\u2019t simply rely on regulation alone. They need to actively demonstrate responsibility, credibility and a willingness to engage with broader societal expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In New York, those same themes emerged from a different perspective. The discussion was centred more around public health, evidence and brain wellbeing, but the underlying question was very similar: how do industries build trust while continuing to innovate?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nOne of the things that struck me is that people outside the gambling industry are increasingly interested in engaging constructively with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s true, the gambling industry didn\u2019t have full-throated vocal support from everyone in the room in New York this week, and I\u2019m sure a portion of the attendees would prefer we didn\u2019t exist, full stop. But there was a sometimes grudging acceptance that the gambling industry isn\u2019t going away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But meaningful engagement only happens if the industry shows up, participates in good faith and is prepared to have serious conversations about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s something Play\u2019n GO has consistently tried to do and will continue to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ve referenced sustainability several times. Magnus Olsson recently spoke about the need for gambling to be viewed as sustainable entertainment. How does the work in New York support that vision?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI think New York actually reinforced one of Magnus\u2019s most important points: the future of our industry won\u2019t be determined solely by gambling companies. It will be shaped by society\u2019s expectations of entertainment more broadly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For years, gambling has often been discussed as a standalone sector, but that\u2019s becoming increasingly difficult to justify. Today we operate in the same digital world as streaming platforms, social media, video games and countless other forms of entertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The questions being asked of those industries around wellbeing, trust, transparency and long-term sustainability are increasingly being asked of us as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why events like the European Brain Council discussion are so important. They place gambling within a much wider conversation about digital experiences, consumer behaviour and human wellbeing. If we genuinely believe that gambling is a form of entertainment, then we should be willing to participate in those discussions rather than standing apart from them<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMagnus\u2019s broader point is that sustainable entertainment isn\u2019t simply about compliance or meeting regulatory requirements. It\u2019s about building an industry that earns legitimacy because it creates value responsibly, operates transparently and contributes positively to the communities in which it exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The companies that embrace that future will thrive.<\/strong> The companies that view sustainability as something separate from commercial success may find themselves increasingly out of step with where the world is heading.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is the long-term significance of these kinds of engagements for both the gambling industry and Play\u2019n GO?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe biggest risk for any industry is becoming isolated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If we only ever speak with people who already agree with us, we miss opportunities to learn, adapt and improve. And we lose the chance to influence thinking, policy and ultimately legislation too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What we\u2019re seeing now, whether through the Better Gambling Forum, the European Brain Council discussions, or broader conversations connected to organisations such as the United Nations and World Health Organization, is the emergence of a more mature dialogue around gambling\u2019s place within society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the industry, that\u2019s important because future regulation, public confidence and long-term growth will increasingly be shaped by these conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Play\u2019n GO, it aligns perfectly with who we are. We\u2019ve spent years arguing that regulation is a competitive advantage, not an obstacle. We\u2019ve argued that trust matters. We\u2019ve argued that entertainment comes before short-term exploitation. We\u2019ve argued that sustainable growth is ultimately more valuable than growth at any cost.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe reason we participate in these discussions is not that they\u2019re immediately commercial. It\u2019s because the future of the industry will be shaped by the companies willing to help build it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And if we want gambling to be recognised as a respected, sustainable form of entertainment, we need to be present whenever those conversations take place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Following Play\u2019n GO\u2019s participation in brain health discussions during United Nations General Assembly week in New York, Head of Brand & Communication Andrew Pink explains why the future of gambling will be shaped not only by regulators and operators, but by wider conversations around trust, wellbeing and sustainable entertainment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":176,"featured_media":34026,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"is_press_release":false,"is_interview":true,"is_opinion":false,"focusai_summary":"Play\u2019n GO is proactively engaging with non-gambling stakeholders like the UN, WHO, and European Brain Council on topics such as brain health and sustainable entertainment. This strategic outreach, led by Andrew Pink, aims to foster trust and secure the industry's long-term social legitimacy beyond traditional regulatory compliance. CEO Magnus Olsson emphasizes building an industry that earns legitimacy by creating value responsibly and operating transparently.","focusai_entities":"Play\u2019n GO, Andrew Pink, Magnus Olsson, European Brain Council, World Health Organization, United Nations General Assembly","focusai_location":"New York, France","focusai_target_profile":"ceo_executive (1.0), regulator (0.9), compliance_legal (0.8), operator_casino (0.9), product_ux (0.7), marketing_crm (0.7), investor_analyst (1.0), supplier_vendor (0.9), journalist_researcher (1.0)","focusai_suggestions":[{"label":"Future Regulatory Impact?","query":"How might Play\u2019n GO's proactive engagement with non-gambling stakeholders influence the development of future iGaming regulatory frameworks and social license requirements across key jurisdictions?"},{"label":"ESG Strategy Implications?","query":"What specific ESG metrics or governance frameworks is Play\u2019n GO developing to operationalize its 'sustainable entertainment' vision and demonstrate value creation beyond compliance to investors?"}],"footnotes":""},"categories":[60712,60301,60010],"tags":[56820],"class_list":["post-34021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-block-home","category-interviews","category-north-africa","tag-playn-go"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/176"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34021"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34021\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34035,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34021\/revisions\/34035"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34026"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}