Mohegan Tribe pays $2 million for Yale University problem gambling app

The Mohegan Tribe is investing $2 million to fund a problem gambling app that is designed to assist gamblers with keeping their habits in check and ensure help for those who need it. The contribution is forwarded to Yale University’s School of Medicine and is part of the institution’s efforts to develop a modern tool that enables the industry to battle problems of gambling and addiction.

The donation and subsequent tool will focus on Connecticut in its entirety, but should the result solution prove successful, it may be used in other states or even internationally. The $2 million allocated by the Mohegan Tribe will be used over five years. The initial plan for the app is to create a tool that will not only monitor gambling behaviors but also assist in treating addiction.

Ambitious as this may sound, there are indications that this could be feasible. Yale School of Medicine associate professor of psychiatry Dr. Brian Kiluk is confident in the potential success of this tool. Kiluk insists on an evidence-based approach that will make the donation hit its mark and ensure that people are offered the best chance of extricating themselves from the grasp of problem gambling.

There have been numerous attempts to tackle problem gambling on a global scale. Victoria, Australia launched additional campaigns back in March in order to provide the funds necessary to address the problem. Funding has been one of the main reasons why some problem gambling initiatives have fallen behind schedule.

Casino Guru launched a dedicated program known as GSES which will enable consumers to remain protected with the voluntary participation of operators, for example. Meanwhile, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment president and chief executive Ray Pineault remain optimistic about the latest collaboration with Yale University.

Pineault is fairly certain that this contribution and subsequent work will "help revolutionize the treatment of problem gambling." The Yale and Mohegan initiative is a step in the right direction. Newly-regulated sports gambling states in the United States all face the fairly same problems with gambling-related harm.

Underfunding means that there are fewer options for problem gamblers to get treatment, but even more importantly, money is necessary to pay for research that can lead to actionable solutions for the issue on a bigger scale. Private contributions are a powerful engine of progress, but they may also prove lacking at times.

Image credit: Commons.wikimedia.org