The Entain Foundation US is to provide a founding grant to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, for a pioneering betting and gaming research initiative which would combine scientific research with operational expertise to apply best practice in responsible gambling, policy and health for the first time in the US.
“For the first time in this field, this initiative brings vital academic research in the U.S. to the public domain in dozens of applied settings,” said Bo Bernhard, UNLV vice president, economic development and executive director of UNLV’s International Gaming Institute.
“We are actively moving beyond the traditional ‘research center,’ since this project will translate scientific research into actionable, operational programs that can be implemented in real venues by operators, regulators, legislators, clinicians, and other stakeholders.”
The foundation is a non-profit organisation funded by global sports betting, gaming and interactive entertainment operator, Entain – which jointly owns BetMGM in the US with MGM Resorts International.
Highlighting this initiative as the next logical step, Martin Lycka, Entain Senior Vice President for American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling and trustee of the Entain Foundation US, added: “We continue to support research around the world, but this initiative goes well beyond that and brings into focus what has been missing from this space – practical implementation of the research that will benefit the customer base and the industry itself.”
