Entain Foundation teams up with Canada’s Responsible Gambling Council

The Entain Foundation has pledged to provide the Toronto-based Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) with research and information as Canada weighs up online gambling.

Entain’s non-profit arm will fund research into consumer practices, preferences and behaviours in Ontario, Canada, as regulators prepare to legalise gaming and sports betting for the first time.

The research will be conducted by the RGC after the Canadian federal government introduced a bill at the end of 2020 to pave the way for the legalisation of single-event sports betting, with licences potentially made available to online operators.

Entain, which is already live in the US with BetMGM, has expressed an interest in applying for a licence in Ontario if they become available.

The research project will draw on consumer insights in Canada and experiences across other international jurisdictions to help regulators make evidence-based recommendations.

Martin Lycka, Entain SVP for American regulatory affairs and responsible gambling, said: “We know from similar research in many markets in which we operate, including the US, that regulators value research which supports an evidence-based approach to decision-making and effective regulation from a wide range of other international jurisdictions.

“Entain, which operates across five continents and over 20 countries, has unparalleled experience with different regulatory approaches taken around the world in the past 15 years,” he added.

The research will focus on a sample of approximately 4,000 adult bettors and gamers.