Encore Boston Harbor Prioritizes Responsible Gambling With PlayMyWay

Written By Caleb Tallman on November 2, 2022

Encore Wins Separate Development Across The Street

With the launch of Massachusetts sports betting on the horizon, Encore Boston Harbor has teamed up with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) and GameSense to launch a responsible gambling initiative. The PlayMyWay (PMW) tool is a self-budgeting tool available on electronic games that can help players gamble responsibly.

“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,” President of Encore Boston Harbor Jenny Holaday said in a statement. “PlayMyWay is a natural extension of those efforts, empowering our guests with new technology to proactively manage their playing decisions.”

How To Use PlayMyWay

PlayMyWay is an electronic tool designed by IGT to be an in-game budgeting tool. At Encore Boston Harbor, players that are a part of Wynn Rewards can monitor the amount of money they spend. The tool also offers support in helping players make decisions on stopping or continuing play. Lastly, players can preset a budget for how much they are willing to spend before starting to gamble.

Mark Vander Linden, MGC’s Director of Research and Responsible Gaming, explained that “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. PlayMyWay supports informed player choice by allowing people to set a budget before they begin and then reinforcing that decision through the gambling session. We’re thrilled that this tool is available at each Massachusetts casino.”

Massachusetts Casinos And Responsible Gambling

All Massachusetts retail casinos are using the PlayMyWay technology to promote responsible Massachusetts gambling. Along with Encore Boston Harbor, other facilities using PlayMyWay include MGM Springfield in Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville.

During the first month of the software being incorporated, over 400 new registrations were filled out on the first day, over 900 during the first week, and over 2000 in the first month. The service having so many sign ups already points towards early success in helping Massachusetts bettors gamble responsibly.

Also read: Twenty-Four Operators In The Running For MA Online Sports Betting Licenses

Signing Up for PlayMyWay At Encore Boston Harbor

For those that have not signed up, it is easy to do. Just follow these simple steps to start using the PlayMyWay service:

Insert your Wynn Rewards card into any electronic game, PlayMyWay kiosks in the GameSense info center, or any slot machine.
Users can then select whether to set daily, weekly, or monthly budgets.
Users will be notified at the moment their budget has been reached. Then if users continue to play, they will be notified for every 25% used over their budget.

Massachusetts Sports Betting Launch Update

With MA sports betting legislation passing earlier this year, sports bettors across Massachusetts are waiting for an official launch date. There is not yet an official date, but there have been many hints as to when the Massachusetts Gaming Commission could allow sports betting to start.

On October 7th, the MGC announced a tentative timeline for both a retail and online sports betting launch. While state officials are still hashing out the industry details, a tentative launch timeline is slated for early 2023. More specifically, in-person betting at Massachusetts retail casinos could launch in January, and online apps could be live by late February or early March. This can only happen if all goes smoothly with the rest of the state regulatory process.