Regulators and legislators to join EPIC at NCLGS in Louisville
NCLGS is the umbrella of over 700 legislators and regulators in the US, and we expect over 300 to be in attendance for the ‘Committee on Responsible Gaming’ panel on Saturday during their Summer Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky.
EPIC CEO Paul Buck will be joined on the panel by Lori Kalani of DraftKings, Corrie Martinez from the Colorado Division of Gaming, and Kevin Winters, founder of Almond Digital Health, from 10.20am-11.10am at Hyatt Regency Louisville, so he talks us through the key messages he’ll be looking to impart on the influential audience on the day…
I’m looking forward to the next few days in Kentucky because it’s an opportunity for our SVP North America, Teresa Fiore, and I to be alongside some of the key decision makers who can continue to strengthen the case for the US to be the safest gambling market in the world.
As part of my opportunity to address hundreds of state legislators and regulators this weekend, I’ll be highlighting that truly embedding responsible gambling (or safer gambling, as it is regularly termed in other territories) across operations requires proactive training for gambling operators – something that should ideally be voluntarily on their part (as many already do), but could be mandated if legislators want to guarantee the safety of everyone engaging with gambling.
EPIC only works with operators who genuinely show us they want to be better and put responsible gambling at the heart of what they do. We offer them internal ground‑breaking training and consultancy, and also the opportunity to support external harm minimization projects with other at-risk groups that have real impact in prevention.
By inviting challenge in a safe setting and prioritizing lived experience in training design, these programs empower staff to detect and intervene appropriately, creating safer customer journeys. Responsible messaging – from account verifications to tools like deposit limits and time‑outs – are central to keeping gambling as entertainment rather than harm.
Responsible gambling is the guardrail that helps prevent problem gambling. We differentiate them by noting that while most gamblers can maintain control over time, money, and cognition, a percentage will suffer gambling‑related harms which, if left unchecked, can cause serious problems to health, relationships, finances and crime.
Prevention – through responsible frameworks – is far more effective and less costly than cure, so we will be urging to regulators to not delay in making this a priority, if they haven’t already. Removing the opportunity for harm starts with responsible operations and regulation – not banning, but informed intervention.
Education is the foundation of prevention. We advocate for funding for research and educational initiatives, alongside treatment, so that through effective research and education, trends can be better identified… and therefore less people will need to access treatment.
It’s no secret that disordered gambling can lead to unchecked issues such as bankruptcy, mental health crises, and relationship issues, especially in app‑driven, ‘always‑on’ contexts. Raising awareness – not restricting all gambling – is key. Instead of vice‑like regulations, such as slot‑stake caps, which may drive users to black‑market alternatives, we advocate balanced, education‑led prevention strategies.
We trust that the legislators in attendance at NCLGS will share a similar vision to our own and I look forward to being able to address some of the most influential gambling-related decision makers in the US during our panel.
We are looking forward to several important pre-booked conversations at the event but between Teresa and I, we will make time for as many more as possible – please get in touch with us via our contact form or personal message on LinkedIn if you’d like to connect in Louisville. It will be great to see you all there…
