PointsBet Advertisements at the University of Colorado Draw Heavy Criticism

University of Colorado logo on the football stadium


PointsBet advertisements target young Colorado audience

As the sports betting companies’ advertisements continue to stir controversy, practices used by PointsBet Sportsbook at the University of Colorado are under the microscope.

signage displayed during university events such as commencement and new student orientation

Denver-based PointsBet is the corporate sponsor of CU Boulder’s athletics program and is also partnered with Buffalo Sports Properties, which represents CU. As such, it has signage displayed during university events such as commencement and new student orientation, as well as engagement programs like football camps where underage youths are present. 

PointsBet maintains that, despite the growing skepticism, it is only marketing to Colorado alums and of-age persons. 

Extra sets of eyes

Until January, PointsBet had a deal in place with Colorado that allowed it to receive $30 for every person that created an account using the school’s affiliate code, regardless of whether or not they were a student or faculty member. 

75-85% of college students gambled in some form

Last fall, 7,106 first-year students enrolled in Colorado. Research conducted from 2007 to 2014—before sports betting was expanded and before Colorado adopted legislation—found that 75-85% of college students gambled in some form. The opportunity to do so has only increased with the availability of in-person and online sportsbooks.

A CU spokesperson said the school and PointsBet reached a “mutual decision to discontinue that portion [the $30 kickback] of the agreement.”

Regardless of the lost affiliate code, PointsBet will still receive massive marketing opportunities through its partnership with the school, especially thanks to Deion Sanders and the new-look football staff.

Sanders, known as “Prime Time” during his playing days and “Coach Prime” in the present, is a media darling. CU product sales were up 700% year-to-year during December 2022, Sanders’ first month as the Buffaloes’ coach, and Brian Howell of the Boulder Daily Camera says they have already sold over 30,000 tickets to their spring football game. Only 1,950 tickets were sold to the 2022 spring game.

General opposition

A majority of the opposition to PointsBet’s partnership with Colorado is due to the operator being unable to control who sees its branding. Eastern Michigan University law professor Richard Karcher, who teaches classes on sports and ethics, is one of those who have taken issue with both PointsBet and CU.

“Who cares whether the university intends for its advertising to reach their students?” Karcher wrote in an email. “It is, and the university knows it.”

the operator receive several promotions during live broadcasts of football games

Part of PointsBet’s agreement with Colorado mandates that the operator receive several promotions during live broadcasts of football games, including a sponsored pregame piece, a ten-second “live mention” and three 30-second commercials.

PointsBet’s logo is also visible on message boards at the 53,613-seat football stadium. The PA announcer also gives at least one mention to the company during the game.  

An Ohio University professor of sports administration, B. David Ridpath, said gambling is just like alcohol and cigarettes and is being coupled with “predatory marketing.”

“Students, like anybody else, are going to [gamble on sports],” said Ridpath. “That’s why it’s become much more mainstream.”

Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal previously urged Caesars to stop the “disgraceful practice” of marketing sports betting at colleges. Executives at sports betting companies, such as FanDuel executive vice president of marketing Andrew Sneyd, agree that there should be regulations on marketing at colleges.

The post PointsBet Advertisements at the University of Colorado Draw Heavy Criticism appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.

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GamCare and Consumer Protection – GamblingNews

GamCare and Consumer Protection


Q: Are gambling companies overall getting better at protecting consumers?

What we have seen over the past few years is more investment and resources being applied to player protection. Yet we know there is still a long way to go. In 2021, we conducted a survey with YouGov, and it was clear that the public felt gambling businesses were not playing their part – only 28% of respondents agreed with the statement that gambling businesses were doing enough to play safely. The industry needs to keep using its resources to find new ways to mitigate harm.

Q: What is the one common thing that most gambling companies are guilty of not doing to protect customers?

We know that there are many ways operators can still improve their processes to prevent gambling harm from occurring. One key area we think GamCare and consumer protection there could be significant improvements made in is affordability checks – having robust processes at the point of registration that set deposit limits and are based on accurate data checks on a customer’s income. This is where operators can really make an impact in beginning to protect their customers

Q: What are GamCare’s main initiatives for the up-and-coming year?

One area we’re very concerned about is the rising cost of living and the implications this may have for people who rely on our services. To this end, we have established a new Money Guidance Service that will provide guidance to those who have been financially impacted by gambling.

The service will work with people to establish day-to-day ways to improve their finances and work closely with those impacted by someone else’s gambling, to help them understand their options. Any support that gives improved access to dedicated financial guidance in the current climate will only enhance the current treatment offer and support longer-term recovery.

We are also looking at how we can reach more people and encourage them to get help, particularly digitally. Since the pandemic, we have seen a shift in the way that people reach out to the National Gambling Helpline, with more choosing our live chat function over physically calling on the phone. We want to continue reducing the barriers for people to start their recovery journey with us and are focussing on how we can achieve that through new digital means.

Q: What is the one thing that GamCare would like to see the Gambling Commission pay more attention to?

We know that the Commission has been looking closely into the guidance around customer interaction and we welcome this focus. It’s so important that customer-facing staff feel confident in supporting their customers and know how to respond when someone is experiencing harm, including the right places to refer people to such as the National Gambling Helpline.

The guidance sets out the need for ‘hot transfers’ to support those customers who are escalated internally where gambling harms are identified, which we see as a great step. The more focus we give here, the more we can ensure people are receiving the right level of support at the right time.



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Swintt Releases Takutiki, a New Slot with Free Spins and Modifiers

Swintt Releases Takutiki, a New Slot with Free Spins and Modifiers


The 2019-launched digital gaming provider that has quickly become one of the most popular names in the industry invites Takutiki players to travel to the very heart of the Americas and get acquainted with the amazing culture of the indigenous people. 

Takutiki Metrics Overview 

  • Reels: 5
  • Rows: 3
  • Paylines: 30
  • RTP: 92.3% 
  • Hit Freq: –
  • Max Win: 450x
  • Volatility: Medium
  • Min/Max Bet: 0.10-100
  • Release date: March 1, 2023

Join the Tribe and Start Collecting Wins

The action is introduced to players through two Native American tribe members, a man and a woman ready to clear the path to some lucrative wins. The beautifully designed 3×5 grid is set against a mesmerizing background showing a gorgeous sunset right in the heart of the rolling plains along with three totems to the left of the grid.

The symbols complement the theme with specific bison, eagle, and tribe member icons along with classic ace, king, queen, and jack card symbols. The symbols together with the substitute wild symbol are presented in stacks on the reels. This means they cut the variance of the game and make regular wins easier to hit. 

Three Re-Spins Features and Free Spins 

Players who manage to collect the diamond symbols unlock three bonus respin features in the game. The diamonds have three different colors: green, red, and blue. Every time one of them is seen popping on the reels, it is added to its corresponding totem located on the left side of the grid. 

Green diamonds reach the green Random Wild totem modifier, while Blue diamonds engage the x2 Wild totem modifier. Landing a red diamond triggers the Expand Reels feature through the corresponding modifier. 

Each of these three actions engages an extra re-spin on the reels. With the help of three red diamond symbols, players can expand the reels to a total of 75 paylines. Landing a trio made of blue diamonds will make all the wild symbols popping on the reels double the value of the potential wins they might trigger. 

Seeing three green diamond symbols show up will add five to ten random wilds to the reels for more lucrative payouts. Engaged modifiers’ counters are reset to zero, which means players are given the chance to keep collecting more in hopes of reactivating their power. 

The game’s greatest wins are triggered in the Free Spins feature which can be entered when landing a minimum of three bonus icons on any location. Players are given eight Free Spins while the diamond counters on the left-sided totems will have their counters reset to one. A new diamond symbol popping now will instantly cause its modifier to grant an extra Free Spin. 

Risk Feature 

This means players can benefit from indefinite spins and potentially enjoy several rewards during a single trigger. The slot also allows players to use all wins collected in base game in the optional Risk feature. 

Here, players need to try to guess the color of a hidden playing card and this way double their current win. A maximum of eight Risk rounds are available. 

Swintt’s chief executive officer David Mann Swintt has expressed his belief that the fresh release will turn into a great hit for players once it will make its debut at all of their online casino partners in March.

At the start of the year, the company announced it would supply Bragg Gaming with its Premium and Select content. 



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