NO LINE

In this episode of The Stories Behind the Bet, Las Vegas attorney Dayvid Figler discusses the history behind Nevada’s problem gambling diversion court. Whereas prison serves to punish convicted individuals, the diversion court rehabilitates them and works to treat their addiction. Since passing the bar exam in 1991 at the age of 23, attorney Dayvid Figler has contributed to a number of high-profile cases in his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada. The award-winning storyteller has now been practicing law for 28 years, and was instrumental in the creation of Nevada’s problem gambling diversion court, a system that holds problem gamblers accountable for their actions without sending them to prison.  Figler received the 2019 Medal of Justice for his considerable contributions to the Nevada justice system; beyond his involvement with the creation of the gambling diversion court, he also worked to expose District Attorney Office witness payments and actively advocates for homeless people throughout the city. He served as the President of the Historic John S. Park Neighborhood and is a regular contributor to programming at the Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.   Figler currently writes for the Nevada Independent, covering topics including the death penalty and criminal justice reform in Nevada, the freedom of the press (release), and compensation for those wrongfully convicted of crimes.   SUMMARY In this episode, the following topics are discussed: 0:14 – Dayvid Figler’s contributions to Nevada law 2:10 – Nevada’s decision to pass gambling diversion court legislation in 2009 3:07 – The first case to ever implement the gambling diversion court law, and the establishment of the court 4:21 – The parameters of eligibility for diversion (first case, violent vs. nonviolent crimes, current cases that could qualify) 8:46 – Support for social responsibility in the gaming industry 10:19 – Practical aspects of the diversion court 11:19 – The country’s interest in developing more gambling diversion systems 13:43 – How industry operators can support the program’s initiatives 15:50 – Why prison just doesn’t compare 16:50 – The end of the stigma around problem gambling addiction 17:50 – Hope for the future  NOTES Information on the NRS 458A Law Determining eligibility for Nevada’s problem gambling diversion court Information on diversion programming in Nevada Mental health professionals’ preference of diversion over prison sentencing How industry officials can make a financial difference today The Nevada Council on Problem Gambling Learn more about episode guest Dayvid Figler via his website. You can also follow him on Twitter. About No Line Media No Line Media features stories behind the bet — a look behind the scenes of gaming — as told by the people, the gamblers, the prop makers, the payment providers, the innovators, and those in the forefront of the industry. Hear from sports betting legends and leaders shaping the future. Hosted by Philip James Beere. No Line is sponsored by Play+. About Play+ Play+ is a payment platform, developed by Sightline, and used by leading brands nationwide, including Draft Kings, Fan Duel, Caesars, MGM, William Hill, Mohegan Sun, Boyd, Station Casinos, and many others. Play+ is leading the industry toward cashless and an integrated resort experience, guaranteeing a better user-experience that promotes speed, security, and ease — all from the convenience of one’s phone. Sightline is committed responsible gambling. Listen to all episodes on iTunes

In this episode of The Stories Behind the Bet, Philip James and Cameron Conn discuss GameSecure, the newest addition to the world of responsible gaming. It’s a way to protect self-excluded individuals before they can even get on the casino floor – both in brick and mortar places and online spaces.  Before starting GameSecure, Conn worked for fifteen years in the industry; his impressive career includes casino design, gaming operations, customer development, revenue generation, and iGaming. In the Vancouver market, Conn organized responsible gaming programs and educated industry members on the “services and processes that would become the gold operating standard within the market.” He named Bencon Technologies, Inc. after each of his parents.  Conn graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. SUMMARY In this episode, the following topics are discussed: Cameron Conn Introduction The need for a solution like GameSecure The Bennett family legacy (Circus Circus, Paragon) Room for error in self-exclusion upkeep How GameSecure identifies individuals Why a program like this hasn’t existed before Assurance in data exchange The impossibility of a one-size-fits-all solution Predictive analytics Current responsible gaming efforts How operators can align with GameSecure Seeking investors to get GameSecure into the marketplace What operators can do to demonstrate their commitment to responsible gaming Final thoughts (the billboard opportunity) NOTES William G. Bennett and Circus Circus Paragon Gaming Bencon Technologies, Inc. Know Your Customer New Jersey 2013 gambling launch Pennsylvania SE database Predictive analytics for problem gambling G2E (Global Gaming Expo)  Follow the progress of GameSecure via their website. About No Line Media No Line Media features stories behind the bet — a look behind the scenes of gaming — as told by the people, the gamblers, the prop makers, the payment providers, the innovators, and those in the forefront of the industry. Hear from sports betting legends and leaders shaping the future. Hosted by Philip James Beere. No Line is sponsored by Play+. About Play+ Play+ is a payment platform, developed by Sightline, and used by leading brands nationwide, including Draft Kings, Fan Duel, Caesars, MGM, William Hill, Mohegan Sun, Boyd, Station Casinos, and many others. Play+ is leading the industry toward cashless and an integrated resort experience, guaranteeing a better user-experience that promotes speed, security, and ease — all from the convenience of one’s phone. Sightline is committed responsible gambling. Listen to all episodes on iTunes  

In this episode of The Stories Behind the Bet, Philip James discusses the National Center for Responsible Gaming’s research efforts and the significance of Responsible Gaming Week with Dr. Russell Sanna. As America embraces and normalizes gambling, it’s important to teach responsible gaming at the same caliber as safe sex or defensive driving. While awareness doesn’t usually radically change public behavior, events like Responsible Gaming Week create a much-needed dialogue for stakeholders, researchers, and industry members alike. Dr. Russell Sanna joined the National Center for Responsible Gaming in 2016. He has an extensive background in many fields; an expert resource developer, Sanna has acted as the Executive Director of the Harvard Medical School Division of Sleep Medicine, the Associate Dean for External Relations at the Harvard Design School, the Assistant Director of the Harvard Art Museums, and the Assistant Superintendent of the Solomon Mental Health Center in Lowell, MA. Dr. Sanna holds a PhD in Policy Analysis from the Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, a master’s degree in Social Planning from the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, and an undergraduate degree in Sociology from the University of Wyoming. SUMMARY In this episode, the following topics are discussed: – Dr. Russell Sanna introduction – NCRG’s unbiased research – U.S. sports wagering research – The thread that connects Sanna’s careers – The importance of Responsible Gaming Week by the American Gaming Association – Normalizing gaming terminology – Green buildings and LEED – Recognizing industry efforts (MGM and GameSense) – The need for responsible gaming research – NCRG’s new fund for sports wagering research – Bird’s eye view of responsible gaming solutions – Responsible Gaming Week specifics – Self-exclusion as a responsible gaming practice – Final thoughts  NOTES The National Center for Responsible Gaming Sports wagering Responsible Gaming Week The American Gaming Association Green building/LEED NPR: “Banning Gas Is The Next Climate Push” MGM’s commitment to GameSense Self-exclusion gambling Reach out to episode guest Russell Sanna or follow the NCRG on Twitter. About No Line Media No Line Media features stories behind the bet — a look behind the scenes of gaming — as told by the people, the gamblers, the prop makers, the payment providers, the innovators, and those in the forefront of the industry. Hear from sports betting legends and leaders shaping the future. Hosted by Philip James Beere. No Line is sponsored by Play+. About Play+ Play+ is a payment platform, developed by Sightline, and used by leading brands nationwide, including Draft Kings, Fan Duel, Caesars, MGM, William Hill, Mohegan Sun, Boyd, Station Casinos, and many others. Play+ is leading the industry toward cashless and an integrated resort experience, guaranteeing a better user-experience that promotes speed, security, and ease — all from the convenience of one’s phone. Sightline is committed responsible gambling. Listen to all episodes on iTunes      

Jennifer Roberts is the Associate Director of the International Center for Gaming Regulation at UNLV. In this episode of the NO LINE Podcast, she and Philip James discuss how technology influences responsible gambling practices and why the conversation about responsibility in the industry needs to continue. Alongside her role at the ICGR, Roberts also teaches gaming law at UNLV’s William S. Boyd School of Law and at the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah. As a lawyer, Roberts has represented major hotels, restaurants, bars and other entities in large cases regarding federal, state, and local alcohol licensing and compliance. Roberts has been in private practice for fifteen years, working with sports betting companies, casino operators, and small gaming operators. She is the owner of Roberts Gaming Law, Ltd. and is an active member of the International Association of Gaming Advisors. Roberts earned her law degree from the University of Utah in 2002. SUMMARY In this episode, the following topics are discussed: Jennifer Roberts introduction How technology can influence responsible gambling How casinos implemented responsible practices before technology Legal issues surrounding the monitoring of customers Legal issues customers can face if they gamble irresponsibly How close we are to using predictive analytics to flag problematic customers Expansion of sports betting What’s missing from the conversation NOTES International Center for Gaming Regulation at UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law J. Quinney College of Law Legalization of sports betting Responsible gaming compliance laws Nevada’s problem gambling diversion court National Center for Responsible Gaming National Council on Problem Gambling Responsible Gaming Education Week American Gaming Association (AGA) Get in contact with episode guest Jennifer Roberts via her UNLV page. You can also follow her on Twitter. About No Line Media No Line Media features stories behind the bet — a look behind the scenes of gaming — as told by the people, the gamblers, the prop makers, the payment providers, the innovators, and those in the forefront of the industry. Hear from sports betting legends and leaders shaping the future. Hosted by Philip James Beere. No Line is sponsored by Play+. About Play+ Play+ is a payment platform, developed by Sightline, and used by leading brands nationwide, including Draft Kings, Fan Duel, Caesars, MGM, William Hill, Mohegan Sun, Boyd, Station Casinos, and many others. Play+ is leading the industry toward cashless and an integrated resort experience, guaranteeing a better user-experience that promotes speed, security, and ease — all from the convenience of one’s phone. Sightline is committed responsible gambling. Listen to all episodes on iTunes    

Dr. Brett Abarbanel is the Director of Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ International Gaming Institute. She’s also an Assistant Professor at the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at UNLV and a research affiliate at the Gambling Treatment and Research Center at the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney in Australia. She also serves as the co-Executive Editor of the UNLV Gaming Research and Review Journal, a publication whose gambling research articles in a variety of academic disciplines are of international significance.   Dr. Abarbanel’s research covers myriad topics that fall underneath gambling, such as problem addictions, responsible gaming and best practices, the socioeconomic impacts for new and longtime gambling jurisdictions, and new gambling technology such as esports and videogames. In 2016, she made the Global Gaming Business Magazine 40 Under 40 List, and in 2015, she was honored with the Emerging Leader Award from the Global Gaming Expo and The Innovation Group. She holds a PhD and an MS at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and earned her B.S. in Statistics at Brown University. SUMMARY In this episode, the following topics are discussed: Brett Abarbanel introduction International Gaming Institute current projects (Nevada Problem Gambling Project, GameSense) The history of GameSense Examples of GameSense implementation Early data from the IGI’s MGM/GameSense research Secondary benefits of employee engagement Employee focus group responses What problem gambling looks like, or doesn’t Percentages of those afflicted and the “harm umbrella” Wild ideas to ramp up responsible gaming efforts The likelihood people will read responsible gaming print materials How companies can commit to responsible gaming by G2E in October Final thoughts The discursive shift in terminology: “responsible gaming” vs. “responsible gambling” NOTES The International Gaming Institute at UNLV William F. Hera College of Hospitality at UNLV Gambling Treatment and Research Center at the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney Nevada Problem Gambling Project MGM and GameSense British Columbia Lottery Corporation MGM Springfield Who’s affected by problem gambling Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Main IGI page: https://www.unlv.edu/igi IGI Research: https://www.unlv.edu/igi/research IGI’s research integrity policy: https://www.unlv.edu/igi/research-policy IGI’s Innovation Centers: https://www.unlv.edu/igi/innovation (come take a class with us!) International Center for Gaming Regulation: https://www.unlv.edu/igi/regulation (come take these classes with us, too!) Follow episode guest Dr. Brett Abarbanel on Twitter. About No Line Media No Line Media features stories behind the bet — a look behind the scenes of gaming — as told by the people, the gamblers, the prop makers, the payment providers, the innovators, and those in the forefront of the industry. Hear from sports betting legends and leaders shaping the future. Hosted by Philip James Beere. No Line is sponsored by Play+. About Play+ Play+ is a payment platform, developed by Sightline, and used by leading brands nationwide, including Draft Kings, Fan Duel, Caesars, MGM, William Hill, Mohegan Sun, Boyd, Station Casinos, and many others. Play+ is leading the industry toward cashless and an integrated resort experience, guaranteeing a better user-experience that promotes speed, security, and ease — all from the convenience of one’s phone. Sightline is committed responsible gambling. Listen to all episodes on iTunes  

Martin Lycka is the Director of Regulatory Affairs at GVC Holdings. In this episode of the NO LINE Podcast, he and Philip James discuss the partnership between GVC and Harvard Medical School, and how the United States sports betting market can avoid making the same mistakes as EuLycka is the author of several books and more than 80 academic articles. He has been a regulatory and in-house legal advisor for myriad global online gambling operators for more than nine years, specializing in compliance, legal, regulatory, and licensing matters. Lycka currently serves as a board member of the EGBA, ESSA, and JDigital. He completed internships for both the Senate and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. He has an LLM degree from the College of Europe in Bruges, an LLB degree from the University of Law in London, and also graduated from the Law Program at Charles University in Prague. Lycka will be presenting at the Risk Management and Responsible Gaming session at G2E on October 15th, 2019 at 3:00-3:45 pm at the Special Events Stage (Sports Betting Symposium Track).  SUMMARY In this episode, the following topics are discussed: Martin Lycka introduction GVC’s interest in the US market and MGM GVC’s responsible gaming program Partnership with Harvard Medical School’s Division on Addiction How GVC collects its data for Harvard What the US can learn from Europe’s mistakes (the good, the bad, and the ugly) Communication between regulators and the industry Wishlist for the future (education on a granular level) Final thoughts S.: If Lycka could design a billboard NOTES GVC Holdings GVC’s joint venture with MGM "Changing for the Better" safer gambling campaign Harvard Medical School’s Division on Addiction Match-fixing in sports betting "What the U.S. can learn about legalized sports betting from the U.K." (article) “What Can the US Learn from European Sports Betting?” (article) How sports betting odds are set Know Your Customer Get in contact with episode guest Martin Lycka via LinkedIn. You can also follow him on Twitter or find him on SBC News, where he’s a guest editor. About No Line Media No Line Media features stories behind the bet — a look behind the scenes of gaming — as told by the people, the gamblers, the prop makers, the payment providers, the innovators, and those in the forefront of the industry. Hear from sports betting legends and leaders shaping the future. Hosted by Philip James Beere. No Line is sponsored by Play+. About Play+ Play+ is a payment platform, developed by Sightline, and used by leading brands nationwide, including Draft Kings, Fan Duel, Caesars, MGM, William Hill, Mohegan Sun, Boyd, Station Casinos, and many others. Play+ is leading the industry toward cashless and an integrated resort experience, guaranteeing a better user-experience that promotes speed, security, and ease — all from the convenience of one’s phone. Sightline is committed responsible gambling. Listen to all episodes on iTunes  

In this episode of The Stories Behind the Bet, Philip James and Bill Miller discuss the importance of responsible gaming as sports betting becomes more streamlined in the industry, and what the American Gaming Association is doing to ensure its Code of Conduct fits the bill. The current President and CEO of the AGA, Bill Miller has spent more than three decades representing business interests in Washington, D.C. He was the Senior Vice President of the Business Roundtable, a Partner at international corporate communications firm Brunswick, and a lobbyist, leading the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Political Affairs and Federal Relations efforts. There, Miller acted as the National Political Director. From 1994 to 1999, Miller served as Chief of Staff to Maryland Representative Constance A. Morella.  In each of these positions, he advocated for the business community, a passion that he’s still able to realize at the AGA. Miller holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland and a law degree from American University.  SUMMARY In this episode, the following topics are discussed: Bill Miller Introduction A snapshot of the AGA’s Code of Conduct The distinction between “gaming” and “gambling” Code of Conduct for sports wagering post-PASPA Why people should commit to responsible gaming Interactions between the industry and sports leagues Learning from Europe’s/the UK’s cautionary tales Responsible gaming marketing in the next five years Overview of the AGA’s world The industry as a good community partner Final thoughts NOTES The American Gaming Association Responsible Gaming Week AGA’s Code of Conduct PASPA States who have legalized sports betting NFL deal with the AGA MGM at Fenway Park BBC: “Teenagers bombarded by gambling ads ask for help” Economic benefits of sports betting Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering Follow the American Gaming Association on Twitter or like them on Facebook. About No Line Media No Line Media features stories behind the bet — a look behind the scenes of gaming — as told by the people, the gamblers, the prop makers, the payment providers, the innovators, and those in the forefront of the industry. Hear from sports betting legends and leaders shaping the future. Hosted by Philip James Beere. No Line is sponsored by Play+. About Play+ Play+ is a payment platform, developed by Sightline, and used by leading brands nationwide, including Draft Kings, Fan Duel, Caesars, MGM, William Hill, Mohegan Sun, Boyd, Station Casinos, and many others. Play+ is leading the industry toward cashless and an integrated resort experience, guaranteeing a better user-experience that promotes speed, security, and ease — all from the convenience of one’s phone. Sightline is committed responsible gambling. Listen to all episodes on iTunes

In this episode of The Stories Behind the Bet, Philip James discusses the relevance of GameSense and the International Gaming Institute with Distinguished Fellow in Responsible Gaming Alan Feldman. GameSense is a way for casinos to prove they care about the gambling habits of their clientele, and it’s already making a difference for big names like MGM Resorts. Alan Feldman is an expert in this field. He has spent almost 30 years as a senior executive with MGM and Mirage, most recently spearheading the launch of GameSense programming throughout MGM properties. By doing so, the casino is able to both inadvertently and directly advertise responsible behavior to its players, encouraging them to adopt a less competitive attitude about gambling and reminding them that they’re there to have fun; as Feldman explains in the podcast, the house advantage is a real thing, and it’s not something that players can surmount with enough practice or a professional attitude.  Feldman also serves as the chair of both the Nevada Advisory Committee on Problem Gambling and the National Center for Responsible Gaming. His expertise is immensely valuable to the industry, and he’s been honored with myriad rewards; he was named Gaming Professional of the Year by the Casino Management Association in 2002, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Gaming Communications in 2009 from the American Gaming Association. At the International Gaming Institute at UNLV, Feldman is able to advocate for best practices in responsible gaming, helping to provide research-based solutions to the global gaming industry. SUMMARY In this episode, the following topics are discussed: – Alan Feldman introduction – What is GameSense? – Who uses GameSense and how does it work? – Casino values and customer expectations – Early feedback from MGM – GameSense as a responsible gaming program, not a problem gambling identifier – The difference between GameSense and self-limiting gambling – How operators can get involved – The International Gaming Institute at UNLV: what’s there and what’s new – Compliance versus corporate social responsibility – The significance of embedding responsible gaming in corporate culture – Final thoughts NOTES UNLV’s International Gaming Institute Self-limiting/self-exclusion gambling Self-exclusion by GameSense British Columbia Lottery Corporation GameSense Massachusetts GameSense Canada GameSense at MGM Resorts Learn more about episode guest Alan Feldman on his UNLV page or follow him on Twitter. About No Line Media No Line Media features stories behind the bet — a look behind the scenes of gaming — as told by the people, the gamblers, the prop makers, the payment providers, the innovators, and those in the forefront of the industry. Hear from sports betting legends and leaders shaping the future. Hosted by Philip James Beere. No Line is sponsored by Play+. About Play+ Play+ is a payment platform, developed by Sightline, and used by leading brands nationwide, including Draft Kings, Fan Duel, Caesars, MGM, William Hill, Mohegan Sun, Boyd, Station Casinos, and many others. Play+ is leading the industry toward cashless and an integrated resort experience, guaranteeing a better user-experience that promotes speed, security, and ease — all from the convenience of one’s phone. Sightline is committed responsible gambling. Listen to all episodes on iTunes    

As Chief Revenue Officer, Keith Wachtel is responsible for day-to-day leadership and management of all revenue-generating initiatives for the NHL and has been a key contributor to the League’s path to more than $4.5 billion in annual revenues. He leads all global corporate partnership efforts for the NHL and assumes P&L responsibility across numerous business areas. Since joining the NHL in 2007, Wachtel has driven more than $1 billion in revenue to the League and member Clubs, negotiating more than 40 League partners across North America and globally including MGM Resorts International, FanDuel, Apple, and SAP. In this episode Keith discusses the following: The opportunity is around the data — using the league’s data to create opportunity in sports betting Put and player tracking — live data and statistics for prop bets: especially for Gn Z and millennials Better for fan engagement Who is going to have the fastest shot? Fan engagement increases Data and and providing it in real-time is key to best bets There are no breaks in hockey: so real-time prop bets are important: who will skate the longest, who will skate the fastest, who will have the hardest shot? A chip/sensor will be placed in the shoulder pad and the puck There will be more fandom — which will create new business opportunities for the NHL Powerful marketing platform — and its creating new technology — and opportunity to bring the technology to other markets including Europe In-arena and 5G MGM will be leading from the technology standpoint   The No Line podcast is sponsored by Play+ Play+ is a payment platform, developed by Sightline, and used by leading brands nationwide, including Draft Kings, Fan Duel, Caesars, MGM, William Hill, Mohegan Sun, Boyd, Station Casinos, and many others.   Play+ is leading the industry toward cashless and an integrated resort experience, guaranteeing a better user-experience that promotes speed, security, and ease — all from the convenience of one's phone. Sightline is committed responsible gambling.  

Mark Hichar focuses his practice on the gaming industry, and brings to each project over 25 years of experience working for gaming operators, system suppliers, game developers, and gaming licensees. Mark has worked as both inside and outside counsel to gaming companies, and understands the need to provide clear, practical, and actionable advice. Mark has particularly deep experience working with operators of casinos and lottery systems, and entities licensed by or contracted with domestic or foreign government gaming regulatory bodies. Working with clients of all sizes, Mark has advised and documented a variety of cross-border transactions and lottery privatizations, and has structured joint ventures to do business in countries including China, Italy, Japan, Russia, South Africa, and Taiwan. Topics discussed: The Wire Act applies to all types of betting, including sports The effect on payment providers, perhaps as aider and abettor If you are assisting in aiding and abetting then payment processors could possibly be considered as aiding The Wire Act was passed in 1961 to go after organized crime The Wire Act does not carve out for state authorized gambling Technology have advanced significantly since 1961 and the passing of The Wire Act Changes in how we communicate compared to 1961 The ideal solution is legislative New Hampshire and clarifying what The Wire Act means in June 2019 Payment providers should be watching cautiously — in regard to the possibility of aiding and abetting Does the Wire Act cover intermediate routing — and how do you identify where that communication goes? Continued expansion will continue throughout the country NOTES Mark Hichar LinkedIn  The No Line podcast is sponsored by Play+ Play+ is a payment platform, developed by Sightline, and used by leading brands nationwide, including Draft Kings, Fan Duel, Caesars, MGM, William Hill, Mohegan Sun, Boyd, Station Casinos, and many others.   Play+ is leading the industry toward cashless and an integrated resort experience, guaranteeing a better user-experience that promotes speed, security, and ease — all from the convenience of one's phone. Sightline is committed responsible gambling.  

Brian Westbrook is Investor at SeventySix Capital and a Member of the SeventySix Capital Athlete Venture Group. He played 9 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football for Villanova University. He earned two Pro Bowl selections in 2004 and 2007. Topics discussed include: Sports technology and venture capital VSiN and sports betting E-sports ShotTracker NFL response to legal sports betting Responsible gambling Analytics and legalization of gambling If you have a problem gambling seek help TheSeventySix Capital selection process for startups Life after professional football and business bootcamps 90% of NFL players will most likely need to work after pro football Today, athletes as business-people Networking important for life after football Longterm vision for sports betting as a business NOTES Instagram LinkedIn Twitter  SeventySix Capital The No Line podcast is sponsored by Play+ Play+ is a payment platform, developed by Sightline, and used by leading brands nationwide, including Draft Kings, Fan Duel, Caesars, MGM, William Hill, Mohegan Sun, Boyd, Station Casinos, and many others.   Play+ is leading the industry toward cashless and an integrated resort experience, guaranteeing a better user-experience that promotes speed, security, and ease — all from the convenience of one's phone. Sightline is committed responsible gambling.  

Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, former federal prosecutor, and political commentator who served as the 55th Governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. During his governorship, he chaired the Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission in 2017. Christie became an ABC News contributor in 2018 after leaving office. Christie was born in Newark and raised in Livingston. He volunteered for Thomas Kean's gubernatorial campaign at age 15. After graduating in 1984 from the University of Delaware, he earned a J.D. at Seton Hall. He practiced law from 1987 to 2002. He was elected county freeholder (legislator) for Morris County, serving from 1995 to 1998. By 2002, he had campaigned for Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush; the latter appointed him U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, a position he held from 2002 to 2008. Topics include: It has been a long battle and steady determination, what was the fight all about? What was the biggest obstacle to legalizing sports betting? Where others would give up you did not, where does your resilience come from? Some states are slow to adopt legalized sports betting, what are your thoughts about this? What are some of the immediate benefits the state is seeing from legal sports betting? What does the future hold for legal sports betting? NOTES Chris Christie To Congress, Leagues: “Get The Hell Out” Of Sports Betting The No Line podcast is sponsored by Play+ Play+ is a payment platform, developed by Sightline, and used by leading brands nationwide, including Draft Kings, Fan Duel, Caesars, MGM, William Hill, Mohegan Sun, Boyd, Station Casinos, and many others.   Play+ is leading the industry toward cashless and an integrated resort experience, guaranteeing a better user-experience that promotes speed, security, and ease — all from the convenience of one's phone. Sightline is committed responsible gambling.  

Wayne Kimmel is a sports tech venture capitalist, entrepreneur and author of Six Degrees of Wayne Kimmel. He is the Managing Partner of SeventySix Capital, the venture capital company he founded in 1999, and invests in startup consumer facing tech companies in the sports tech, sports betting, esports and retail industries. Among the Fortune 500 companies that have acquired his portfolio companies are Aramark, Intel, IBM, Walgreens and Yahoo! His partners at SeventySix Capital are Jon Powell, a leading real estate executive, and Ryan Howard, MLB legend and World Series Champion. Wayne and his team recently launched the SeventySix Capital Athlete Venture Group, which allows professional athletes to invest, learn, and work directly with top sports tech startups and entrepreneurs. The firm aims to bridge the gap between athletes, entrepreneurs, and investors by creating opportunities for athletes to become tech investors and for entrepreneurs to access the financial and social capital that professional athletes have to offer. Athlete Venture Group members include Ryan Howard, DeMarco Murray, Ralph Sampson and Brian Westbrook. SeventySix Capital also has a partnership with Rubicon Talent, a sports marketing and talent agency based in New York City. In this episode the following topics are discussed: Startup sports tech companies The criteria for startup selection Selecting people who are “nice” and why Sports betting startups Athlete venture group The overturn of PASPA How will people talk about sports and sports betting: VSiN and Brent Musburger A media studio inside a Sports Book  From a 5B to 500B industry for sports betting To be innovative you must do things that people do not understand Next generation sports book at the Sacramento Kings arena ShotTracker Predictive analytics and the casino Operator Getting into the sports industry as a young college graduate The startup profile to be considered at SeventySix Capital SwishAnalytics If you are passionate about sports and technology the timing is right Athletes thinking of themselves as entrepreneurs Regulated sports betting is an exciting time to be doing business NOTES SeventySix Capital: Wayne Kimmel Instagram Twitter Facebook ShotTracker SwishAnalytics The No Line podcast is sponsored by Play+ Play+ is a payment platform, developed by Sightline, and used by leading brands nationwide, including Draft Kings, Fan Duel, Caesars, MGM, William Hill, Mohegan Sun, Boyd, Station Casinos, and many others.   Play+ is leading the industry toward cashless and an integrated resort experience, guaranteeing a better user-experience that promotes speed, security, and ease — all from the convenience of one's phone. Sightline is committed responsible gambling.  

John is a media industry entrepreneur, growing his family’s small cable business into one of the 10 largest distributors in the country, before launching Sportscope in 1994, an alphanumeric TV channel delivering sports scores and stats 24/7. This evolved into theScore Television Network, a leader in authentic and interactive sports entertainment, providing sports news, highlights and live games. By 2012 theScore was available in more than 6.6 million homes across Canada and, in October that year, John and his team structured and executed the sale of Score Media’s television assets to Rogers Media and the spin-out of Score Media’s digital assets to Score Media’s shareholders into a new entity – theScore, Inc. This allowed John and his team to focus 100% on growing theScore’s hugely popular mobile platforms, including its flagship app ‘theScore,’ one of the most popular sports apps in North America. Topics discussed in this interview: John Levy’s father was in the cable business in the 1950’s TSN — the ESPN of Canada The ticker on the screen with the odds displayed From TV to the mobile offering Became 100% mobile and digital People love sports — people love sports betting Second most popular app in North America 50% of The Score users bet on sports Make betting easy and convenient inside The Score app Launching in mid-2019, in front of the NFL season The biggest challenge: staying true to the brand and allowing the user to have a good experience Staying true to what has made The Score successful in the past Listen to the user and let them tell you what they want — provide it in a seamless conference The big differentiator is a culture of entrepreneurship being easy for the user NOTES theScore John Levy The No Line podcast is sponsored by Play+ Play+ is a payment platform, developed by Sightline, and used by leading brands nationwide, including Draft Kings, Fan Duel, Caesars, MGM, William Hill, Mohegan Sun, Boyd, Station Casinos, and many others.   Play+ is leading the industry toward cashless and an integrated resort experience, guaranteeing a better user-experience that promotes speed, security, and ease — all from the convenience of one's phone. Sightline is committed responsible gambling.  

Keith S. Whyte became the Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) in October 1998.  NCPG is the national advocate for programs and services to assist problem gamblers and their families.  NCPG was founded in 1972 and is the oldest and most objective organization on gambling issues. Previously, Mr. Whyte served as Director of Research for the American Gaming Association where he was responsible for research and public policy issues, including problem gambling.  His prior experience includes the American Bar Association’s Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities where he dealt with policy issues relating to civil rights, human rights, healthcare, and immigration law.  He began his career working on healthcare policy in the office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Keith graduated from Hampden-Sydney College with a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Certificate in International Relations.  He also studied at Leiden University, the Netherlands. Topics discussed in this episode: Stance of neutrality Minimizing harm for anyone with a gambling problem while allowing Operators and vendors to maximize revenue Programs and policies in place to reduce harm How to get the word out to those who may have a gambling problem or who have a severe problem Crafting messages Identifying problem gamblers through technology and risk patterns Payments providers allowing gamblers to exclude themselves The payment provider as a tool to help develop identifying algorithms Gambling addiction is a disease; the goal is prevention Sports betting and responsible gaming Shame and stigma Gambling is not a problem for 98% of those who gamble Warning signs of being unable to set and stick to limits of time and money gambling Excessive gambling can deaden certain segments of the brain How do people get help? Predicting a gambling addiction Severe problem gamblers start betting for money at ages 10 - 12 It is preventable and treatable Vendors and operators must be ahead of the curve NOTES National Council on Problem Gambling Keith Whyte The No Line podcast is sponsored by Play+ Play+ is a payment platform, developed by Sightline, and used by leading brands nationwide, including Draft Kings, Fan Duel, Caesars, MGM, William Hill, Mohegan Sun, Boyd, Station Casinos, and many others.   Play+ is leading the industry toward cashless and an integrated resort experience, guaranteeing a better user-experience that promotes speed, security, and ease — all from the convenience of one's phone. Sightline is committed responsible gambling.