Ohio has become the first state in the US to launch free software to block digital bets as part of The Ohio Lottery’s ‘Time Out Ohio’ program for individuals with a gambling problem.
Time Out Ohio already enables people to sign up and block themselves from entering a brick-and-mortar casino for one or five years, or a lifetime ban. As part of the program, if a person who signs up is ever caught in the casino, they may have to let go of gambling chips or slot tickets, be escorted off the premises, and could potentially be charged with criminal trespass.
According to Cleveland19, the newest form of self-protection will be in the form of software from UK-based company Gamban, which will keep a person from placing any bets from all of their devices, extending the program from the land-based realm to the online market.
The publication quoted Amanda Blackford, Director of Operations and Responsible Gaming at the Ohio Lottery Commission, who said: “We view Gamban as an essential tool for those who struggle with gambling online. Time Out is a tool for legally based blocking, but Gamban protects individuals from the illegal market as well as those beyond the Commission’s authority.”
The Gamban offer is for one year to block gambling sites in the US, giving those experiencing harm from gambling access to their software for free.
Matt Zarb-Cousin, co-founder of Gamban, said: “We hope other states will follow the lead of Ohio, which has been incredibly forward-thinking at a time when mobile sports betting across the US is growing rapidly.”
