How US states and Canada are reshaping responsible gambling
Focus Gaming News spoke with regulators and industry leaders across five jurisdictions about the tools reshaping player protection and the unresolved battles over which products fall under existing frameworks.
Key takeaways:
- Focus Gaming News interviewed five regulators and industry leaders across the US and the president of the NAGRA about their responsible gambling strategies for 2026.
- US states have both mandatory responsible gambling requirements and voluntary tools, while Canada’s Ontario and Alberta have province-wide self-exclusion and RG certification requirements.
- 8 per cent of US adults showed at least one indicator of problematic gambling in 2024, equivalent to close to 20 million people, with nearly half of helpline contacts coming from users under 35.
- The proposed POINTS Act in the US would redirect federal sports wagering taxes to generate approximately US$100m annually for prevention and treatment. The bill remains in Congress.
- Prediction markets triggered regulatory conflicts in 2026, with Michigan withdrawing from NCPG over Kalshi’s membership and multiple states litigating as they believe the products constitute unlicensed sports betting.
Special report.- Responsible gambling policy in North America in 2026 is being shaped by three forces: the steady expansion of state tools, the first attempt at federal funding, and a growing fight over whether new products like prediction markets fall under existing frameworks.
For this special report, Focus Gaming News spoke with Jeremy Locke, president of the North American Gaming Regulators Association (NAGRA); Dave Forman, vice president of research at the American Gaming Association (AGA); Jackie Johnson, director of the Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG); Jim Townsend, chair of the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB); and Thomas Mills, spokesperson for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC), about the measures they have promoted to encourage responsible gaming, the challenges they face on a daily basis, and the tools they consider essential to ensure that the gaming ecosystem remains free from harmful behaviour.
How many Americans are affected by problem gambling?
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG)’s National Survey on Gambling Attitudes and Gambling Experiences, first run in 2018 and repeated periodically since, found that 8 per cent of American adults (equivalent to close to 20 million people) experienced at least one indicator of problematic gambling behaviour in 2024. That’s an increase of 7 per cent when compared to 2018 levels and an increase of 11 per cent when compared to 2021 levels.
The 2025 National Problem Gambling Helpline Annual Report by NCPG says that more than 31,000 people reached out to the helpline every month in 2025 and nearly half of those contacts came from people under 35. According to the report, the demographic and behavioural profile of those contacts is shifting fast. The NCPG said: “The data points towards a future where problem gambling support must be as accessible, immediate, and diverse as the gambling options themselves. Chat and text contacts continue to grow, reflecting how people increasingly prefer digital connection in moments of need.”
What tools are US regulators deploying state by state?
In Massachusetts, the Gaming Commission replaced its GameSense initiative this year with PlayWell, a new responsible gaming and player health programme. Thomas Mills, spokesperson for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC), said: “PlayWell Hubs located at each Massachusetts casino are staffed by responsible gaming experts who can assist patrons who may be in need. This includes helping them enrol in PlayMyWay, a budgeting tool that allows electronic game patrons to set a budget and receive reminders as they play.”
In Michigan, the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has been active on the responsible gaming front in recent months. Jim Townsend, MGCB’s chair, told Focus Gaming News: “Earlier this year, during Problem Gambling Awareness Month, we launched an expanded version of our Don’t Regret the Bet website, with new sections on recognising warning signs, understanding risk factors, and finding confidential support — including resources for family members, not just players themselves.” Townsend said that the refreshed website won a Platinum Hermes Creative Award, while the broader Don’t Regret the Bet campaign also picked up a Gold Shorty Impact Award for its work in the mental health space.
The MGCB also rolled out a partnership with Gamban this spring. This lets any Michigan resident claim a free licence for gambling-blocking software, and launched Don’t Bet on Your Future, a youth-focused prevention campaign that partners with high school booster clubs around the state to get responsible gaming messaging in front of teens through coaches and athletic programmes.
Responsible gaming education has been a central theme for Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) in 2026. Jackie Johnson, ADG’s director, said: “The agency launched a free, on-demand resource: Responsible Gaming Training in April. This training teaches the fundamentals of positive play, defines problem gambling and gambling disorder, and identifies how to access vital community resources. It is conveniently accessed online and is entirely self-paced. We hosted a webinar at the launch of the training to provide information on using the resource, and attendees gave the agency’s leadership on this issue a positive reception. The training resource is especially geared towards casino industry employees, but it is also a great introductory resource for individuals and families, and players and nonplayers alike. We believe everyone can benefit from the initiative because the training equips learners to have more informed, confident conversations (especially with players) that share resources and responsible gaming tools and information.”
The ADG also expanded no-cost financial counselling to Arizonans enrolled in voluntary self-exclusion. Johnson said: “Responsible gaming is about more than helping someone step away from gambling. It is also about making sure they have meaningful tools to support what comes next. By pairing self-exclusion with specialised financial counselling, individuals can get practical, judgment-free support with debt, budgeting, credit, and rebuilding financial stability. We see this as an important step in strengthening Arizona’s responsible gaming framework and making support available when people are ready to use it.”
What about Canada?
In Ontario, iGaming Ontario has launched BetGuard, a tool that enables individuals opt out of all Ontario-regulated online gaming platforms via a single online portal. Ontario also requires mandatory Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) RG Check certification.
In Alberta, competitive igaming launched in July. Like in Ontario, the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) requires operators to connect with a self-exclusion programme and achieve RG Check certification.
Which tools do regulators consider most effective?
Jeremy Locke, president of the North American Gaming Regulators Association (NAGRA), highlights:
- Deposit limits and other spending controls.
- Time limits and session reminders.
- Self-exclusion programs, including the ability to opt out of marketing communications.
- Reality checks that provide regular updates on time and money spent gambling.
- Easily accessible account history and spending summaries.
- Access to education, support services, and treatment resources.
Locke, however, said: “The effectiveness of any tool depends on more than availability: tools must be visible, easy to use, well integrated into the player experience, and supported by clear operator obligations, staff training, user-centred design, monitoring, and evaluation. Increasingly, regulators are encouraging operators to design responsible gaming tools so they are intuitive, proactive, and accessible at the moments when players are most likely to benefit from them.”
He also noted “promising advancements” in the use of behavioural analytics to identify indicators of risk and provide targeted interventions before harm escalates. “While these approaches must be implemented responsibly and with appropriate privacy protections, they represent an important evolution in player protection,” he said.
Dave Forman, vice president of Research at the American Gaming Association (AGA), said: “We encourage the entire industry, particularly smaller operators and regional properties without the resources to develop their own tools, to use Play Smart from the Start as a free resource to ensure consumers can easily find, understand, and use responsible gaming resources when and where they need them.”
The fight against illegal gambling and the role of prediction markets
This year, the main conflict in US responsible gambling policy has been the rise of prediction markets. The NCPG in February 2026 called on prediction-market operators to promote the Problem Gambling Helpline.
The MGCB formally withdrew from the NCPG this year after the organisation accepted prediction-market platform Kalshi as a member. Townsend said: “That decision came down to a straightforward conflict of interest. Kalshi has been offering sports event contracts in Michigan that we consider unlicensed sports gambling. So, when the National Council on Problem Gambling brought Kalshi on as a member, including an investment partnership, we felt we could no longer stay affiliated with NCPG in good conscience.”
In August, the AGA estimated that illegal gambling operations, including offshore sportsbooks and unregulated online casinos, generate approximately US$53.9bn in annual revenue, resulting in more than US$15bn in lost state tax revenue.
Locke said: “These [illegal] operators often lack the consumer protections, responsible gaming tools, and regulatory oversight that exist in regulated markets, creating additional risks for players. Equipping regulators with appropriate tools to disrupt and address illegal activity, either directly or through law enforcement partnerships, remains essential. NAGRA provides an important forum for regulators to share best practices, intelligence, and practical approaches for responding to these risks.”
Johnson said: “We continue to be focused on the challenge of illegal online gambling and educating the public that these sites and platforms do not comply with the state’s regulatory safeguards. One strategy we use in consumer education is the Check Your Bet campaign, which we developed as a public service announcement to run statewide. The campaign urges residents to verify that they are only betting with legal operators; they can double-check their bet by visiting gaming.az.gov/checkyourbet. By only betting with legal operators, residents make sure that they have access to responsible gaming tools and are playing with an operator that has a responsible gaming programme in place. This campaign is running on TV, radio, and online with a simple yet important message: Check Your Bet is the safer way to play.”
Mills pointed out that igaming is not legal in Massachusetts. He said: “Mobile sports wagering is legal, but games like slots and table games cannot be offered in Massachusetts on a mobile device. The Commission has made a push to enhance public awareness.
“The Safer Bets Start Here campaign began this summer with a series of digital, social, audio, and other ads to promote responsible gaming.
“The Commission has continued this push with a digital public awareness campaign during Responsible Gaming Education Month (RGEM) and is looking forward to building more public awareness campaigns moving forward.”
Townsend added: “We’re keeping up enforcement against unlicensed and illegal operators more broadly — that pressure doesn’t let up just because attention is on prediction markets. We’re also focused on making sure responsible gaming keeps pace as the legal market keeps growing; more players and more engagement means our prevention and support tools need to scale right along with it, particularly around youth exposure. And operationally, we’re always balancing that enforcement and oversight against the resources we have available, so making good use of our funding and staying efficient is a constant challenge, not just a year-end one.
“None of this is new territory for us as an agency, but the prediction markets fight in particular is higher-stakes and more novel than anything we’ve dealt with recently, so that’s where I expect most of our energy to go through the rest of the year.”
The US federal funding and general awareness
Unlike most responsible gambling policy in the US, which is set state by state, one federal-level development this year could change the funding picture nationally. In March 2026, during Problem Gambling Awareness Month, representatives Erin Houchin, Andrea Salinas, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Troy Carter introduced the Opportunities for Individuals in Need of Treatment and Support (POINTS) Act (HR 7875).
The bill is the first bipartisan legislation on gambling addiction proposed in Congress in more than 15 years. If approved, the federal government would dedicate funding to addressing gambling addiction for the first time, redirecting a portion of the federal excise tax on sports wagers to prevention, treatment and recovery services. Houchin said the move would generate approximately $100m annually to support programmes that help individuals and families affected by gambling addiction.
NCPG’s executive director, Heather L. Maurer, backed the bill: “The POINTS Act recognises that gambling addiction is a public health issue requiring a coordinated national response. States and tribes need stable federal support to expand access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services. This legislation provides a responsible and sustainable funding mechanism to meet that need.”
On the other hand, several interviews pointed to the same underlying pattern: campaigns are reaching people, but the healthcare and prevention systems around them still have real gaps to close. Johnson described what Arizona’s own survey research found: “While awareness of the problem gambling helpline increased substantially, there is more room to grow for Arizonans’ awareness of the subsidised treatment options available for recovery.”
The same research found that fewer than 10 per cent of Arizonans had been asked about their gambling habits during their most recent health visit. “With gambling screening as an early intervention tool, and problem gambling as a behavioural health issue, we support improving access to gambling screening”, Johnson said.
What is the next challenge?
Looking ahead, Locke said “evaluating the effectiveness of existing responsible gaming initiatives and ensuring resources are directed towards programmes that demonstrate measurable outcomes” among NAGRA’s top priorities for the months ahead, alongside “leveraging technology and data analytics to identify and mitigate risk earlier.”
He added: “Looking ahead, regulators will continue to focus on balancing innovation and market growth with strong, evidence-based consumer protection measures.”
Locky also referred to modernising public education so responsible gaming information reaches players through the channels they use, including social media, digital platforms, and targeted campaigns. “The overarching objective for regulators remains unchanged: fostering a sustainable gaming environment where adults can participate responsibly, while minimising harm and protecting those who may be vulnerable,” he said.
Mills said Massachusetts still has “more pieces of research to be released through the research agenda,” with presentations expected during public Commission meetings.
With Ontario’s Alcohol and Gaming Commission (AGCO) preparing to launch a centralised, province-wide self-exclusion platform, and litigation over prediction markets still unresolved in multiple US states, the next phase of responsible gambling policy looks like deciding, jurisdiction by jurisdiction, which products those tools are even meant to cover.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- What new responsible gambling measures have US taken in 2026? Massachusetts replaced GameSense with PlayWell hubs and PlayMyWay budgeting tools. Michigan offers free Gamban licences and runs the Don’t Regret the Bet campaign. Arizona provides on-demand training and no-cost financial counselling for people in self-exclusion.
- Why did Michigan withdraw from the National Council on Problem Gambling? The Michigan Gaming Control Board left NCPG after the organisation accepted prediction-market platform Kalshi as a member, including an investment partnership. Chair Jim Townsend called it a “straightforward conflict of interest,” noting Kalshi offers sports event contracts in Michigan that the state considers unlicensed gambling.
- What is the POINTS Act and how much funding would it raise? The POINTS Act (HR 7875) is a bipartisan bill introduced in March 2026 that would redirect part of the federal excise tax on sports wagers to prevention, treatment and recovery services. Sponsor Rep. Erin Houchin says it would generate approximately US$100m annually, though the bill remains in Congress with no guarantee of passage.
