iDEA Growth Emerges as Voice of Regulated Mobile Gaming Industry with Kindred Group (Unibet) joining as its 25th Member

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- iDEA Growth, a trade association representing all sectors of the burgeoning online gaming and entertainment industry in the U.S., announced today that it is 25 members strong, with the most recent addition of Kindred Group, as the voice of the industry advocating for legalized mobile gaming and betting.

Jeff Ifrah, founder of iDEA Growth, said, "Since the first iGaming bill in New Jersey in 2013, to the Supreme Court ruling allowing states to create their own legislation, a unified industry voice was needed to advocate for and educate lawmakers and the public on the revenue opportunities and consumer protection from regulating mobile betting and gaming.

"With iDEA Growth members representing every vertical in mobile gaming, we have built an effective lobbying force to support federal legislation that is backed by facts and demonstrates data integrity; to educate state lawmakers on the financial benefits and to ensure the best consumer gaming experience that is safe and regulated."

The 25 iDEA Growth members representing all sectors of the online gaming industry, including payment, legal and technology services, are 888.com, Bet365, Continent 8 Technologies, DraftKings, EML Payments, Gamesys, Global Payments, Golden Nugget, GVC Holdings, Ifrah Law, Kambi, Net Entertainment, Pala Interactive, Paysafe, PlayNJ, Pointsbet, Resorts Interactive, Saiber, SBTech, SG Digital, Sightline Payments, Sportsradar, Stars Group, Unibet and Worldpay.

"iDEA is playing a vital role in unifying the industry to deliver a clear and consistent voice for innovation while using technology to modernize approaches to safe, responsible gaming," said Christopher Justice, President, Global Payments Gaming Solutions and iDEA Growth member. "Operators and technology providers alike have an obligation to ensure our industry's digital transformation is responsibly managed, and iDEA serves in a leadership role."

"Kindred Group is delighted to join iDEA and contribute more than 20 years of experience gained from global markets. We have continuously advocated for fact-based policymaking, and with our core focus on sustainability and responsible gambling, we believe we can make a meaningful contribution to iDEA," says Liv Biesemans, Group Deputy General Counsel, Kindred Group PLC and iDEA Growth member.

Other recent iDEA Growth accomplishments include:

• Established a strong advocacy effort in target states, through testimony to state legislatures and meetings with state and federal lawmakers and regulators in Washington, D.C., Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, New York and Tennessee.
• Drafted model legislation based on the success and learnings from New Jersey and other states as an example for state lawmakers.
• Commissioned industry research to demonstrate best practices and proof of successful online gaming to support a fact-based advocacy effort.
• Advocated for the industry on critical issues, such as challenging a January 2019 Department of Justice Opinion that threatened to disrupt online gaming as it relates to the Wire Act.
• Built an educational marketing program through digital and earned media campaigns to serve as an ongoing voice and resource for the industry, lawmakers and members of the media.
• Served as a resource and authority on iGaming at U.S and global industry conferences, panels and events as invited panelists and speakers.

"We are proud of our growth but there is still more work to be done to expand and modernize online gaming in the U.S.," Ifrah continued. "While two-thirds of the states have introduced legislation to legalize sports betting, over a dozen do not include mobile language, which is a lost revenue opportunity for states. Offering the full suite of online gaming, including poker and casino games in addition to sports, is the smartest business move for states while providing the safest consumer protections."

iDEA (iDevelopment and Economic Association) is a 501(c)(6) association which seeks to grow jobs and expand the online interactive gaming business in the United States through advocacy and education.

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SOURCE iDEA Growth