WASHINGTON, DC – The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA) testified before the Maryland House Ways and Means Committee today on House Bill 295 (HB 295). The SGLA urged lawmakers to reconsider provisions of the bill that would ban and criminalize Social Plus games, which would leave more than 120,000 Maryland adults without access to the games they have enjoyed since 2012.
“If HB 295 passes, the law-abiding operators will exit the state, but illegal operators will stay and prey on unsuspecting Maryland consumers,” said Sean Ostrow, Managing Director of the SGLA. “Social Plus operators offer real consumer protections that keep minors from playing, that protect consumer data and finances, and that encourage responsible social gameplay.”
Social Plus platforms in Maryland and across the country deliver a variety of games that are always free-to-play and restricted to players over the age of 21. SGLA partner operators ensure that all Social Plus games are equipped with robust consumer protections, including age and identity verification, responsible social gameplay tools, geolocation, and secure handling of consumer data.
“Our industry is regulated at the federal level by the FTC, FCC, US Postal Service and DOJ Consumer Protection division,” Ostrow continued.
Also providing testimony in opposition to HB 295 were Dwight Ramenaden, VGW’s Head of Responsible Social Gameplay, and Lloyd Melnick, Chief Growth and Strategy Officer at VGW, to discuss the regime of strong consumer protections the Social Plus industry has voluntarily established, many of which go far beyond what comparable social games currently offer.
Instead of moving forward with HB 295 as written, the SGLA urged the Maryland House of Delegates to study this issue and consider a regulatory framework for Social Plus games that will protect consumers and generate new revenue for the state. Proper regulation could generate upwards of $20 million in annual revenue for Maryland through player purchase taxes and operator registration fees.
To learn more about SGLA, please visit our website at www.SGLeadership.org and our social channels at LinkedIn, X, and Facebook.
Contact
Laurie Rossbach
Partner, Seven Letter
202.258.7810
Laurie@SevenLetter.com
About the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance
The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA) champions social gaming operators who offer innovative, free-to-play entertainment experiences enjoyed by millions of Americans while promoting responsible digital entertainment. Our partners set the standard for innovation, world class games and the responsible use of digital marketing including sweepstakes promotions. We advocate for appropriate oversight that recognizes the unique entertainment value of social online games, protects players, platforms and the community, and promotes responsible gameplay.
The SGLA’s operator partners are VGW, PLAYSTUDIOS, Yellow Social Interactive, ARB Interactive and B-Two Operations, representing Chumba Casino, Luckyland Slots, Global Poker, Pulsz, Pulsz Bingo, Modo Casino, McLuck, HelloMillions and SpinBlitz. Other partners include major payments providers Nuvei and Paysafe. The SGLA’s advocacy and standards focus exclusively on online social games. Our advocacy does not extend to operators offering sports products or transacting in cryptocurrency.
###
