As part of a new responsible gaming initiative, the International Gaming Standards Association (IGSA) has welcomed two new Partner Members, Focal Research Consultants and The Responsible Gambling Council, both from Canada.

IGSA President Mark Pace said: “IGSA is excited to welcome our new partners in Responsible Gaming. We are looking to work with organizations that are truly dedicated to doing good in the RG space. There is a lot of time, energy and money being spent in this area and we want to leverage the incredible work being done in an effort to amplify its positive effect.”

Tracy Schrans, Co-Founder and President of Focal Research, said: “We are pleased to partner with IGSA on this important initiative. Drawing on over three decades of applied research, responsible gambling evaluation, and player protection, we look forward to collaborating with IGSA members to advance practical evidence-based industry standards for keeping players safe.”

“Advancing industry standards for player protection depends on collaboration across the full ecosystem. With deep expertise in standards development, applied research, and harm prevention, RGC is pleased to work alongside IGSA members to develop practical, implementable standards that strengthen player protection in meaningful ways,” said Sarah McCarthy, CEO of the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC).

BetMGM has extended its relationship with EPIC Global Solutions into a sixth year, drawing on the consultancy’s lived experience model to support player protection excellence across key consumer-facing teams.

BetMGM originally partnered with EPIC to provide meaningful exposure to the human impact of problem gambling for its employees and stakeholders. The “lived experience” approach from EPIC continues to positively impact the organisation’s responsible gambling framework, training strategy, and stakeholder engagement.

Through the extension of the work in 2026, EPIC has initially delivered two sessions of their “Gambling Harm Awareness” program to BetMGM teams during March, coinciding with Problem Gambling Awareness Month, and will undertake two further scheduled sessions with BetMGM’s customer-facing teams later in the year. Additional Gambling Harm Awareness sessions have been agreed for September, alongside digital Responsible Gambling training and an advisory day with EPIC consultants.

Client feedback from the two March engagements has evidenced strong increases in both knowledge and confidence around gambling issues among BetMGM teams. Quantitative feedback from employee surveys confirmed:

• 100% agreed or strongly agreed they had a better understanding of the potential personal, social, and financial effects of gambling harm, as well as a better understanding of how RG supports healthy play and how PG manifests as harm, and how proactive engagement can protect customers and the company;

• 98% agreed or strongly agreed they had a better understanding of how to identify key indicators in customer behavior, communication, or play patterns;

• 95% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed they had better knowledge of the difference between responsible gambling (RG) and problem gambling (PG);

• 100% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed they felt confident recognising the signs of gambling harm and in identifying common risk factors and vulnerable groups.

Richard Taylor, Director of Responsible Gambling, BetMGM, said: “Our long-standing partnership with EPIC Global Solutions continues to play an important role in how we support responsible play at BetMGM. Their lived experience approach brings valuable insight to our teams and enhances how we recognise and respond to gambling-related risk. As we enter our sixth year working together, EPIC’s expertise remains essential to strengthening our culture of responsibility across the business.”

“BetMGM continues to demonstrate a clear commitment to player protection, evidenced by the longevity of their working relationship with EPIC,” said Cory Brown, Gaming Policy & Consumer Protection Manager North America, EPIC Global Solutions.

“We’re pleased to have supported their mission for six years and look forward to further strengthening their team’s knowledge with the additional training we’re scheduled to deliver later this year.”