One of the recent players in the U.S. gambling world has decided to join the National Council on Problem Gambling. GVC Holdings also plans to help fund a study to help researchers figure out the scope of problem gaming behavior. GVC is advocating companies put programs in place to encourage gambling for entertainment purposes only, rather than as an addiction.

GVC Holdings
Founded in 2004 in Luxembourg and headquartered on the Isle of Man, GVC has operations in more than 18 countries. GVC has rapidly expanded. It partnered with British sportsbook William Hill to buy Sportingbet. William Hill managed the sportsbook in Australia and Spain, while GVC managed the sportsbooks in the rest of the world. GVC also acquired the Bwin.Party website, and has managed to grow the site considerably. GVC also purchased Ladbrokes Coral, another sportsbook based in Australia. Recently, GVC and MGM Resorts International signed an agreement to offer sports betting at its resorts. This is in response to sports betting becoming legal across the United States. The company also owns PartyPoker and PartyCasino. GVC currently holds sportsbooks, as well as online casinos, poker rooms, and bingo parlors.

Currently, GVC has nearly 3,000 employees with offices in North America, South America, Europe, and Australia. The company, while successful, has also had its share of scandals. The company saw its CEO resign and replaced earlier this spring. Earlier this year, the United Kingdom fined GVC for advertising infringements, including advertising free bets and bonus offers.

The Agreement GVC Made
GVC has joined the advocacy group the National Council of Problem Gambling (NCPG). The NCPG is the largest advocacy group for problem gamblers and their families. However, unlike other advocacy groups in the country, the NCPG’s position on legal gambling is neutral. It is neither for nor against legal gaming in the United States. Its biggest service is to provide and maintain a national register of counselors and therapists to help with gaming addiction.

The Proposed Research Study
The proposed research study that GVC Holdings will help with will be very comprehensive. Its purpose is to establish a baseline for the number of problem gamblers in each state. The advocacy group hopes it can use this baseline to measure which programs are effective in reducing problem gambling. It also hopes to discover which are not as effective.

The study aims to look at all forms of gambling. It will look at casino gaming, gaming at tracks and racinos, sportsbooks, lottery gaming, and bingo parlors.

GVC joins several other gambling companies that are going to be a part of the study. Other companies include Las Vegas Sands, Mohegan Sun, Caesars Entertainment, International Game Technology, and MGM Resorts. Gaming experts noted GVC’s entry into the organization is in part because of its partnership with MGM Resorts. GVC also wants to make a good impression in the North American market. The company has made some major inroads into the market of late with sportsbooks.

The researchers expect the gaming study to be so comprehensive it may take up to two years to complete. They estimate the cost of conducting the study to be around $250,000. The study will look at gambling in each state where it is legal. It will determine if there are some forms of gambling that are more addictive than others. Also, they want to see if there are trends from state to state that may help the agency target resources. Resources the agency may offer could include classes on responsible gaming and courses on what gaming addiction looks like.

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