IWD: The power of diverse perspectives in responsible gaming
In celebration of International Women’s Day, Dr Jennifer Shatley, executive director of ROGA, discusses the role of diverse perspectives in driving meaningful progress and innovation in the responsible gambling space
A variety of perspectives is often one of the greatest assets to advance progress. My own journey has reinforced this belief time and time again. As a professional in the gaming industry, a researcher, a public policy expert, and an advocate, I have seen firsthand how valuing diverse perspectives and challenging conventional thinking can drive meaningful innovation and be a catalyst for progress.
In the early 2000s, I had the unique experience of being involved in the development of many firsts in the industry related to responsible gaming (RG). Many of the concepts we introduced were unheard of — and often controversial — at the time. Most prominent would be the development of ‘RG ambassadors’, who were tasked with proactively engaging with guests when there were RG-related concerns.
The ambassadors received specialized training to conduct conversations modelled on motivational interviewing, a research-based approach designed to motivate them to change potentially risky behavior as a prevention mechanism.
Up until this time, there was no proactive outreach to customers across the industry — much less a group of employees trained to readily have these conversations. Of course, we didn’t expect our employees to be clinicians, and the program’s success was built over several years and in close collaboration with researchers, academics, customers, problem gambling advocates, and other industry stakeholders to consider how to best structure these conversations to best benefit guests.
Despite the initial skepticism, this program laid the foundation for many RG practices that are commonplace in the gaming industry today. The success of these programs in innovating and transforming the way responsible gaming is addressed by the industry was built on empirical evidence, well-defined principles, and, most importantly, collaboration with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including public and private entities.
This commitment continues today. As the executive director of the Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA), one of my core priorities is to highlight the value of RG for all players. As the industry continues to grow, we want to help ensure gaming remains fun and recreational, making increasing engagement with responsible gaming education, tools and resources more critical than ever. Achieving this requires working across diverse stakeholder groups and moving beyond a one-size-fits-all approach.
RG should not depend solely on the initiatives of individual operators or be designed exclusively for a single player demographic. For example, while the majority of sports bettors are male, the female segment is growing: 28% of active bettors and 43% of prospective bettors are women. Effective RG strategies must reflect this reality, recognizing the need to craft tailored messages and tools that resonate with diverse audiences.
That means the future of RG must remain innovative and adaptive. Messages must be tailored for different genders, ages, game preferences, and cultural nuances. My experience leading Caesars’ RG strategy in Japan underscored the importance of cultural sensitivity. When Japan legalised casino gaming, we and other operators created education campaigns to stress the importance of responsible gaming.
Only after conducting research with Japanese citizens, we realised the messages — and the general concept of responsible gaming — weren’t resonating. We found that simply translating programme language isn’t sufficient. Program efforts must take into consideration cultural values, traditions, norms, and customs. This oversight demonstrates the value of listening, learning, and acknowledging what we don’t know by bringing others into the conversation.
Whether as industry professionals, advocates, or players, sharing our unique insights and lessons learned can help shape more effective RG practices. By drawing from our varying perspectives, we can connect with different audiences in ways that resonate deeply, making responsible gaming messages more impactful, and increasing engagement with these programs.
At ROGA, we prioritise data-driven solutions while fostering a collaborative environment that welcomes perspectives from operators, academics, policymakers, players, advocacy groups, and broader stakeholder groups. We recognise that the next major innovation in RG may come from unexpected voices. By listening to these voices, we can continue to make gaming more enjoyable for everyone.
Dr Jennifer Shatley serves as executive director of the Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA). She is an insightful and experienced executive with a 25-year career background involving extensive leadership progressing responsible gaming policy.
A recognized expert in the field, she works closely with academics, researchers, government bodies, state councils, the treatment community, and gaming industry representatives.
Shatley serves as president of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling, is a member of the National Council on Problem Gambling, and co-chairs the Compliance Review Board for the American Gaming Association’s Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering.