Dr. Jennifer Shatley: “Responsible gaming should be a core part of the online gaming experience”

As one of the returning judge for the Casino Guru Awards, Jennifer Shatley brings an unwavering commitment to responsible gaming and social responsibility in iGaming. Representing the Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA), she has emphasized the need for impactful initiatives that go beyond compliance and invite industry-wide collaboration, providing tangible benefits to players.

In this interview, she discusses the importance of best practices that can be adopted by industry peers, the challenges of moving past "box-ticking", and the ever-evolving role of research-based initiatives in helping shape the dialogue around responsible gaming and responsible gambling standards.

Q: Jennifer, as we return to another edition of the Casino Guru Awards, what are your hopes about the category you are a judge in, the Most Impactful Social Responsibility Initiative. What do you want to see addressed by applicants in the upcoming edition?

I am honored by the opportunity to once again serve as a judge for the Most Impactful Social Responsibility Initiative. Our organization, the Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA), is committed to identifying responsible gaming solutions and promoting evidence-based best practices to keep gaming fun and recreational. The Casino Guru Awards are an incredible forum to uplift and acknowledge those in the industry doing the critical work to drive responsible gaming progress and awareness in the iGaming space.

When reviewing candidates, I am looking for those who have made meaningful progress in integrating responsible gaming as an essential part of the player experience. Our goal as an industry is to empower players to make informed decisions about their play and help prevent issues before they occur. Effective social responsibility initiatives play a crucial role in making that a reality.

Finally, when I examine what makes aninitiative worthy of recognition, I consider replicability. Companies that can provide a template for success for our colleagues to excel are the type of leaders that should be awarded. Additionally, those that can provide an effective template for others and serve as a resource to regulators to ensure the long-term protection of our players will be especially strong initiatives.

Q: There is a universal understanding in the industry that social responsibility initiatives are "a good thing," but there seems to still be a lot of "box-ticking" going on. Why do you think this is and how can we move past this behavior?

Our industry is always focused on ensuring compliance, and I commend the continued effort by the legal gaming industry to go beyond compliance to prioritize player protection. However, the iGaming industry remains a rapidly evolving space, and while there is a shared understanding of the need for impactful social responsibility initiatives, the industry must collaborate to determine the most effective way to implement responsible gaming and problem gambling policy effectively. Recognitions like the Casino Guru Awards are an essential medium to spotlight impactful initiatives and provide our industry peers a guide for similar success.

Q: Could you give an example of what a social responsibility initiative should look like in the first place, and companies that have launched such efforts successfully?

As the award title suggests, having a tangible impact in the areas where it is most needed is the decisive factor in how social responsibility initiatives are judged. Some of the key elements for maximizing impact are an emphasis on player protection, going above and beyond legal compliance, partnering with multiple industry stakeholders to expand reach or make an initiative more comprehensive, and, where they are measurable, the concrete outcomes of the initiative. For instance, last year’s winner, Fortuna Entertainment Group, successfully worked across national boundaries with other operators to create an obligatory responsible gaming code of conduct above the legal minimums for compliance. Fortuna Entertainment Group’s efforts in central and eastern Europe parallel ROGA’s efforts with the responsible gaming certification program for the U.S., which will establish a compliance-exceeding standard for operators.

Q: Are the research and education field collaborating successfully with private companies in the gambling industry to establish strong standards of social responsibility today?

Effective collaboration with the education and research field is paramount to creating successful and enduring social responsibility initiatives, and I’m proud of all the fantastic efforts we’ve seen to date. Many of ROGA’s peers, including the Responsible Gambling Council, International Center for Responsible Gaming, and International Gaming Institute have been effective stewards of this type of research. Similarly, at ROGA, we fund research to identify and implement industry best practices around responsible gaming. In that vein, ROGA is partnering with the Responsible Gaming Council, EPIC, and Kindbridge Behavioral Health on a National College Education Campaign, which will provide an evidence-based education and awareness program specifically tailored to the unique needs of college students to foster a well-rounded understanding of responsible gaming and other essential financial literacy skills.

I’m proud of the research industry organizations and operators have supported, and there’s always more we could do. Any company implementing new initiatives must ensure they are basing them on empirical evidence.

Q: What do you think is the role of platforms such as Casino Guru Awards in communicating the importance of social responsibility to stakeholders?

We are navigating a rapidly evolving industry, and effective collaboration will be key to our progress. Initiatives like the Casino Guru Awards are essential platforms for us to recognize successful industry programs that can serve as templates for wider action and inspire others to build further on this success. We should leverage these moments to chart a path for the future of iGaming and its commitment to social responsibility.

Q: Are there challenges to implementing impactful social responsibility initiatives, or do you think all companies can contribute in their own way? Whether it’s through awareness campaigns or financial contributions?

Of course, not every operator’s contribution to social responsibility will be the same; however, it is essential that through effective industry collaboration, we identify ways that all operators can contribute. Responsible gaming should be a core part of the online gaming experience, which requires industry-wide collaboration. Whether that is developing or improving resources for players, strengthening internal procedures, contributing to industry initiatives, sponsoring research to push the field forward, or spotlighting the value of social responsibility through an education campaign, we all have a part to play.

Q:With your extensive experience in promoting responsible gambling and working with leading organizations in the field, do you feel that standards set by bodies like the Center of Excellence in Responsible Gaming are widely embraced within the industry, or is there still notable resistance?

Standard-setting organizations and those conducting research undergirding responsible gaming tools are an important part of the information ecosystem and can help the industry advance its responsible gaming efforts. The industry has taken a proactive approach to promoting responsible gaming, and current responsible gaming and problem gambling initiatives often operate at a standard well above the minimum for compliance.

In 2025, ROGA is working to create a more comprehensive and standardized set of best practices around responsible gaming that will set the industry standard and help operators leverage their existing tools more effectively. ROGA’s data clearinghouse will enable self-exclusion across all member operators, a major step towards making current policies more comprehensive and interoperable. Likewise, ROGA’s certification program will consider current responsible gaming tools and features to help players identify which operators have robust responsible gaming programs in place. ROGA’s members, representing over 85% of the U.S. legal online gaming industry, are committed to responsible gaming and establishing evidence-based best practices that will further integrate responsible gaming into every player’s experience.

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