Arthur Paikowsky: “Our ultimate goal is to assist the industry to minimize harm to players”

In our conversation with ICRG President and Secretary Arthur Paikowsky, we explore the organization’s full year of commitments to making the industry safer and more transparent. Paikowsky speaks of the successful year in fundraises, and what this means for ICRG’s work.

The ultimate goal, as always, is to help equip the industry with the tools that would allow it to mitigate harm to consumers. The increase in funding clearly signals that the industry understands that only good can come from expanded efforts towards responsible gaming.

Q: Arthur, as the year comes to a close, there are many new developments to discuss. Let’s begin with the recent contributions ICRG has received from industry stakeholders. How will these contributions support the center’s long-term goals?

Thankfully we are closing another strong fundraising year with hopes of tripling the amount of money that we raise over a three-year period. First and foremost, this has enabled us to launch many additional studies that will be completed over the next 1-3 years. Currently, we have 34 studies in process, and we have also expanded our educational focus by sponsoring 3 conferences and 5 webinars with the ultimate goal of assisting the industry in optimizing the ability to mitigate harm to players.

Q: The American Gaming Association recently noted that contributions to responsible gambling from the gambling industry have reached a record high in 2023. Do you see this as a positive trend? Why do you think the industry has ramped up its investment in responsible gambling over the past few years?

I can’t speak to whether overall funding of responsible gaming organizations is at a record high although I certainly hope that the AGA data is correct. Certainly, it is true for ICRG! Expansion comes from both an increasing reservoir of funding from our core group of donors along with a regular flow of new funders each year. I believe that the industry has recognized that only good can come from expanded efforts toward responsible gaming. Regulators and legislators have an opportunity through research to make informed decisions. And, you provide tools to a new generation of professionals who focus their attention on RG initiatives at virtually all of the largest companies.

Q: How has your research at ICRG contributed to shaping the gambling industry? What have been the ICRG's key takeaways in 2024?

During and immediately after Covid, ICRG was unable to either raise substantial funds or launch many new research initiatives, so we have been in catch-up mode on both fronts over the past couple of years. With that said, there will be a major rollout of the findings from the three-year Sports Wagering Behavior Study in January, which was supported by a number of donors including DraftKings, Entain, Hard Rock, IGT, MGM, NASCAR, and AGA. We are grateful for their support and believe that many new initiatives may be spawned from this study.

Q: Looking ahead, where do you see room for improvement at the ICRG, and what are your plans for 2025?

We, as an organization, will always be introspective. We set a high bar and will never compromise on quality when it comes to the vetting of applications for research support. We have the firewall and our peer review committees and the Scientific Advisory Board to thank for that. If we put out a request for a proposal and the application is not up to the SAB’s standards, we will reissue it. This is because we know how important our research is to the field and to industry. So, I expect that 2025 will see sustained fundraising enabling us to fund approximately $2m in new studies while other studies are simultaneously completed providing a steady flow of new data to analyze and actualize.

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