Nearly 13,000 gamblers enroll in addiction prevention effort

PLAINVILLE, Mass. — Nearly 13,000 gamblers have signed up for a unique gambling addiction prevention effort being tested at Massachusetts’ first casino.

According to a report submitted Wednesday to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, the “Play My Way” program at Plainridge Park Casino has enrolled 12,670 players since its launch last June.

That’s about 10 percent of eligible patrons at the Plainville slots parlor and harness racing track. Of those, 10,857 are still actively using the program, which allows players to voluntarily set a spending budget before they gamble.

The initiative is considered the first of its kind in the country. Similar systems have been tried in Australia, Canada, Norway, Sweden and elsewhere.

Harvard Medical School and Cambridge Health Alliance researchers are evaluating the program. They’re expected to release their initial findings in August.