Michigan Gaming Control Board Earns Platinum Viddy Recognition for ‘Don’t Regret the Bet’ Campaign

Michigan has once again blazed the trail, this time with its responsible gambling measures. The Michigan Gaming Control Board recently received the 2023 Platinum Viddy Award for its ‘Don’t Regret the Bet’ campaign done in conjunction with King Media.

Established in 1994, the Viddy Awards celebrates the creativity of producers and communication professionals globally. Formerly known as Videographer Awards, the Viddy Awards receives outstanding video entries that are, in turn, judged by members of the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals.

Winners cut across a broad range of categories while Platinum awards only recognize video projects that score 90 from a possible 100 points. These videos are deemed by the judges as exceptionally written, produced, edited or shot.

The ‘Don’t Regret the Bet’ initiative was introduced in March this year, but it has, in such a short while, achieved outstanding success. Organizers of the Viddy Awards revealed that they got over 2,500 entries from 19 countries, including the US and Canada. But not only was the ‘Don’t Regret the Bet’ campaign video award-worthy, it was considered exceptional, scoring over 90% on the judges’ benchmarks.

Considering the growth of the Michigan online gambling industry, it was necessary to create measures to curb problem gambling. As a result, the MGCB Responsible Gaming Section developed the ‘Don’t Regret the Bet’ to remind Michiganders that gambling is essentially a fun activity, while also reducing the possibility of people developing a gambling addiction.

More recently, $3 million from a larger budgetary allocation was earmarked for the continuity of the campaign. To stakeholders at the MGCB, the award is proof of the impact of the responsible gaming policy.

“Receiving an award for responsible gaming messaging efforts is not only a tremendous honor, but also a testament to the dedication and commitment the Michigan Gaming Control Board has toward promoting a safe and enjoyable gambling environment,” MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams said.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board did not achieve this feat alone, as it shared the award and recognition with King Media. Operating out of its East Lansing office, King Media was responsible for developing the campaign video advert and ensuring its wide reach across traditional and digital media.

“I appreciate the partnership and efforts of King Media with the agency, and the talents of their staff who have worked hand-in-hand with us to develop creative strategies and share best practices as we strive to ensure the well-being of players within the ever-changing gaming industry landscape,” Williams commented. 

Sandra Johnson, manager of MGCB’s Responsible Gaming Section also praised the fruitful collaboration between the agency and its media partners. She said:

“The MGCB’s priority is to protect the interests of the citizens of the state of Michigan, and we are proud to have been able to partner with King Media to help elevate our responsible gaming messaging.”

“This award is an honor and reflects the team effort and work that has gone, and will continue to go into, our successful Don’t Regret the Bet campaign. I am grateful to the agency, as well as the financial support from the State of Michigan, to have made this endeavor possible.”

The MGCB won the award alongside video campaigns produced by Make-A-Wish Foundation Minnesota, AARP, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, Vanguard, the New York Mets, Walgreens, and CDC.

At Gamble Online Michigan, we are also passionate about achieving the MGCB’s goal of fighting gambling addiction and ensuring safe, responsible gaming practices. Since inception, we’ve kept our audience up to speed with policies and programmes of the Michigan Gaming Control Board. Players can rest assured that they will receive information about safe gambling practices and only recommendations to licensed casinos and sportsbooks.  

Gambling in any form is for entertainment purposes only. If someone has a gambling problem, please call the state's 24-hour, toll-free helpline at 1-800-270-7117 or the MGCB's responsible gaming section at 1-888-223-3044. You also may visit the Responsible Gaming page of the MGCB website for information on self-exclusion programs including the Disassociated Persons List and the Internet Gaming and Sports Betting Responsible Gaming Database. Also, visit DontRegretTheBet.org for additional tools to help citizens game responsibly.