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OLG reports 84 approved self‑exclusions after online sign‑up; men and younger adults predominate
Summary
OLG told the committee its self‑exclusion program has 86 applications (84 approved), that online enrollment since 2022 increased uptake, and that the program’s participants skew male (91%) with an average age of 34; officials said enforcement is easier on mobile apps than in anonymous retail settings.
Committee members pressed the Office of Lottery and Gaming on responsible‑gaming protections and how OLG enforces voluntary self‑exclusion.
Randy Burnside said the self‑exclusion program began in May 2020 and was expanded in 2022 to allow online enrollment. As of Jan. 27, OLG had received 86 applications and approved 84; 34.5% of approved applicants are DC residents, 33.3% are from Virginia and 20% from Maryland. Burnside gave demographic details: the average overall age is 34, the average age of men is 33 and women 47, and 91% of applicants to date have been male.
Peter Alvarado, Director of Regulation and Oversight, described operational enforcement: mobile operators receive an encrypted self‑exclusion list and must deactivate or prevent accounts; the retail environment is more difficult because purchases can be anonymous and retailers cannot always tell who is on the list. OLG said it conducts audits, reviews marketing lists for compliance, and requires operators to report denied account attempts and suspicious‑activity reports. "When we add or subtract [from the list], we push out a new list through an encryption out to the operators," Alvarado said. The agency also noted limitations: the program is voluntary, third‑party (family) involuntary exclusions are difficult to implement, and some retail enforcement relies on retailer training and discretionary refusal.
