Patrick J. Kennedy, former United States Congressman and architect of one of the most significant mental health reforms in American history, will join a key discussion on player protection during SBC Summit Americas.
The betting and gaming industry event, taking place from June 9–11 at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, will bring together stakeholders from across North and Latin America for three days of networking, innovation, and knowledge sharing. Kennedy will participate in the panel “Building a Public Health Response to Gaming Harm” on June 10 at 11:30 a.m. on the Leaders Stage.
The session is part of SBC’s recent partnership with the Better Gambling Forum (BGF), a global initiative dedicated to advancing evidence-based approaches to reducing gambling-related harm. Together, both organizations are working to promote practical, scalable, and effective player protection strategies across North America and beyond.
Kennedy will contribute his extensive experience as a mental health and addiction advocate, joining a multidisciplinary panel of experts from public health, policymaking, psychiatry, neuroscience, and corporate responsibility. The discussion will explore gambling-related harm from multiple perspectives and examine how cross-sector collaboration can strengthen consumer protection efforts.
During his 16 years in the US House of Representatives, Kennedy became one of the nation’s leading advocates for mental health and addiction reform. He is widely recognized for sponsoring the landmark Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, signed into law in 2008, which expanded access to mental health and addiction treatment for millions of Americans by requiring insurance providers to offer coverage comparable to physical healthcare services.
Since leaving Congress, Kennedy has remained a prominent voice in national discussions surrounding mental health, addiction, and public health policy through initiatives such as The Kennedy Forum, a nonprofit organization focused on advancing mental health equity and systemic reform.
He has also co-founded organizations including Psych Hub and One Mind, authored bestselling books on mental health and addiction, and continues to advocate for greater awareness, early intervention, and collaboration in addressing behavioral health challenges.
Against this backdrop, the panel will examine data showing that nearly half of US adults engaged in gambling activities over the past year and will explore the potential impact of increasingly accessible betting opportunities on younger audiences. The discussion will also highlight the importance of early intervention, public education, scientific research, and cooperation across sectors in developing more effective responses to gambling-related harm.
Joining Kennedy on the panel will be leading clinical and mental health experts, including Dr Nathan Carroll, National Medical Director at InSite Health and member of the American Psychiatric Association’s Council on Digital Health, Innovation, and Technology, and Dr Eraka Bath, Professor of Psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Both will provide valuable perspectives on addiction, psychiatry, and youth mental health.
Also participating will be Toby Ewing of Stanford School of Medicine and Brain Capital Advisor, as well as former Executive Director of the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, who will share insights from his work in neuroscience and public mental health strategy.
Representing the industry perspective, Paul Pellizzari, Vice President of Global Social Responsibility at Hard Rock International, will discuss the role operators can play in strengthening responsible gaming and player protection initiatives.
The session will be moderated by Kevin Winters, CEO of Almond Digital Health, a company dedicated to helping individuals develop safer and healthier gambling habits.
Commenting on the importance of the discussion, SBC Founder and CEO Rasmus Sojmark said:
“Player protection cannot be approached from a single perspective. Bringing together voices from public health, policymaking, healthcare, and the gaming industry is exactly the kind of collaboration needed to move the conversation forward, and Patrick Kennedy’s participation adds an important dimension to that discussion.”
The panel forms part of SBC Summit Americas’ broader safer gambling agenda, which also includes a dedicated Player Protection Symposium designed to encourage collaboration and knowledge-sharing among leading experts from across the Americas.
Featured speakers include Tom Sage, Executive Vice President of the Sports Betting Regulators Association; Christopher Hebert, Chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board; Michael Soll, President of the International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG); Phil Sherwood, Senior Director of Responsible Gaming at PrizePicks; and Dr Jennifer Shatley, Executive Director of the Responsible Online Gaming Association, among others.
Attendees and industry stakeholders interested in staying informed about the latest developments in responsible gambling can also access SBC’s Player Protection Hub, a centralized resource featuring educational content, expert insights, and key industry news shaping the global player protection landscape.
