Responsible Gaming
The Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) is committed to the encouragement of responsible gaming and practices and vows to make it an integral part of our daily operations. We are committed to the responsible management and sale of all lottery products and gaming services while increasing the awareness of problem gambling and available treatment resources. In 2018, OLG developed a responsible gaming framework which informed gambling regulation in the District and provided an overall orientation to responsible gaming practice and policy adopted.
While generating revenue for the District is an important goal, the Office will never put profits ahead of the health of its players. Moreover, the Office’s commitment to responsible gambling is driven not only by its mission and values, it is mandated by statute and regulation. Consequently, by law, the Office and its licensees are mandated to develop and maintain a responsible gambling program. The Office understands that maintaining an effective, responsible gambling program, creates an environment that promotes revenue generation in a safe and healthy manner. For this reason, the Office does not view responsible gambling as a burden but as an integral part of its business operations and oversight responsibilities.
The Office’s Responsible Gambling Program (Program) is intended to provide the comprehensive framework to minimize the potential harmful impact gambling may have on individuals, families, and communities. The Program provides an approach through which the Office’s lottery and sports wagering products are offered in a manner that minimizes harm. The Program also ensures that sports wagering licensees maintain responsible gambling programs that comply with applicable law and regulation and are consistent with the Office’s overall goals.
What is Responsible Gambling?
Responsible Gambling is the exercise of control and informed choice to ensure gambling activity is kept within affordable limits of money and time. Further, the gambling activity is enjoyable and in balance with other activities and responsibilities. The overarching goal of responsible gambling is to avoid gambling-related harm.
What is Problem Gambling?
Problem Gambling is the difficulty in limiting money and/or time spent on gambling, which leads to adverse consequences for the gambler, their family/friends, or community.
The Office Approach to Responsible Gambling
The Office’s approach to responsible gambling is driven by its mission and core values on responsible growth. To this end, the Office aims to create an effective, sustainable, socially responsible, and accountable approach to gambling. The Program has adopted a multifaceted approach that integrates preventative measures and processes that promote responsible gambling. The objectives of the Program cover three areas as follows:
Education
- Provide accurate and balanced information to enable informed choices;
- Provide players adversely affected by gambling with timely access and appropriate information on problem gambling; and
- Provide annual responsible gambling training.
Regulatory
- Ensure the Office and its licensees comply with the laws and regulations covering responsible gambling.
Research
- Continually explore best practices to enhance responsible gambling strategies, policies and methods.
- Participate in established studies designed to better understand the DC Lottery brand and its players’ attitudes towards luck and entertainment.
- Continue to engage in studies that track gameplay, spending habits, and other social dynamics of DC Lottery players.
To achieve sustainability and socially responsible goals, the Program will also address self-exclusion and the prevention of gambling by underage and impaired individuals.