Betting on Trouble: When VIP Gamblers Go Too Far, with Katherine Sayre

You bet, we thank our sponsor, Optimove! We hit the ultimate payout with Optimove! With their CRM software, you’re not just tracking customers—you’re managing high-rollers and casual gamers with the finesse of a blackjack dealer. Now you can double down on personalized offers and never worry about going bust. Thank you Optimove for stacking the deck in our favor!

Also big thanks to our sponsor Clarion Gaming and ICE Barcelona 2025 for not only keeping the gaming world connected 365 days a year, but also for making sure Jon and Fintan can keep talking about it! You guys really are the master key to this chaotic, wonderful gaming universe, and without you, we'd all be lost in a sea of buttons, screens, and confusing strategies. Thank you Clarion Gaming for being the champions of connection, and we’ll see you in Barcelona for ICE 2025! 

How do gambling companies balance VIP treatment with responsible gaming practices? Also, what role do gambling companies play in exacerbating addiction among high-rollers?

In this episode (The Gambling Files RTFM 182), reporter Katherine Sayre of The Wall Street Journal returns to discuss her investigative reporting on gambling addiction within the high-roller VIP circles.

This episode in a nutshell:

* Katherine’s investigation into a psychiatrist's gambling addiction and the VIP treatment she received (link to the article below).

* VIP programs: When perks and bonuses cross the line.

* Differences in regulatory approaches between the U.S. and the UK/Europe.

* The role of state regulators in curbing gambling addiction.

* High-roller bettors and their influence on operator revenues.

* The fine line between entertainment and exploitation in gambling marketing.

* The growing scrutiny around sweepstakes casinos in the U.S.

* The rise of unregulated sweepstakes in the online casino space.

Choice quotes:

* Fintan Costello: “The VIP team play a very, very important part of every operator.” 

* Katherine Sayre: “Back in 2019, PointsBet reported internally that a half a percent of their sports betting customer base generated 70% of its revenue. So that stuck out to me as proof of how important high rollers are [to digital gambling platforms].”

* Katherine Sayre: “The gambling industry has always promised to do something about this [problem gambling]. It's [now] time to see how they are actually going to handle this.”

* Jon Bruford: “If gambling businesses say that they take responsible gambling seriously, and then don't, there's going to be repercussions—especially when it's part of their licensing.”

* Jon Bruford: “VIP high rollers and problem gamblers do share some commonalities in how they play.

But they also share them with money launderers, and that doesn't mean that every problem gambler is a money launderer.”

Thanks to Katherine Sayre for being on the show! 

Read Katherine Sayre’s The Wall Street Journal article, “A Psychiatrist Tried to Quit Gambling. Betting Apps Kept Her Hooked,” that was discussed in this episode: https://www.wsj.com/business/hospitality/gambling-addiction-sports-betting-apps-4463cde0 

Connect with Katherine at LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinesayre

The Gambling Files podcast delves into the business side of the betting world. Each week, join Jon Bruford and Fintan Costello as they discuss current hot topics with world-leading gambling experts.

Website: https://www.thegamblingfiles.com/

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