A voluntary electronic games budgeting tool has debuted in the Bay State courtesy of a Massachusetts Gaming Commission, Encore Boston Harbor and GameSense union.
Titled PlayMyWay, the solution is designed to allow Wynn Rewards players the ability to monitor the amount of money they spend in real time, as well as support a decision to continue or stop play.
“Providing players with all the necessary information and resources available will help them make well informed decisions about their gambling, including when to stop and how much to spend,” said Mark Vander Linden, MGC’s Director of Research and Responsible Gaming.
“PlayMyWay supports informed player choice by giving people the opportunity to set a budget before they begin, and then reinforcing that decision through the gambling session. We’re thrilled that this tool is now available at each Massachusetts casino.”
PlayMyWay can be accessed by patrons inserting a rewards card into any slot machine, electronic game, or relevant kiosk at a GameSense info centre.
Card holders will be tasked with choosing a voluntary daily, weekly and/or monthly budget to track their spending at EBH, and once enrolled will receive automatic notifications as they approach and reach that limit. If a player continues to play, notifications will be received at 25 per cent intervals.
“Encore Boston Harbor has collaborated with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, the Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health, and GameSense to develop responsible gaming strategies since day one,” commented Jenny Holaday, president of Encore Boston Harbor.
“PlayMyWay is a natural extension of those efforts, empowering our guests with new technology to proactively manage their playing decisions.”
PlayMyWay was originally rolled out as a pilot program at Plainridge Park Casino in 2016 and recently at MGM Springfield in April 2022, with sign-ups currently approaching 32,000. PlayMyWay at EBH is a custom-designed application developed by IGT.
“For many, gambling can be a fun form of entertainment, but much like other fun activities, it’s easy to spend more time playing than originally intended – and as a result, exceed your entertainment budget,” added Marlene Warner, Executive Director for the Massachusetts Council on Gambling and Health.
“PlayMyWay allows players to voluntarily pre-commit to a spending budget and then adds helpful transparency to their spending in real-time, empowering them to make informed and healthy choices.”
