PlaySmart.ca is Ontario’s gambling encyclopedia, boosting knowledge and dispelling myths without judging and alienating those who want to play. Just like the program to which it belongs, this website pioneered a novel strategic approach to addressing problem gambling: promoting the right ways to play and have fun, instead of just telling people what not to do.
The website features comprehensive how to play content for over two dozen lottery, casino and bingo hall games, including a video series for some of Ontario’s most popular games. It also has blog—Table Talk —with factoids and interest pieces about gambling that we promote through social. And to support those who need help with gambling issues, or those of a loved one, the website also features a Finding Help section with links to free local resources.
Check out PlaySmart.ca
Winner – 2018 Award for Best Website, North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL).
I led the content planning and production for PlaySmart.ca, helping first to determine the content structure with our web agency, and then leading our creative agency on the research and development of copy, icons and illustrations. Efforts included:
- setting up interviews and copy reviews with game experts
- executing supplemental research
- reviewing all copy briefs and rounds of copy
- managing reviews across a complex stakeholder network
- managing translations and adaptations for French and Chinese
The scope of this project was huge, and getting the copy right was like walking a tightrope—language for PlaySmart needs to accurately describe games as they’re played in Ontario and satisfy a stringent OLG legal team, while speaking in balance to the fun and the risks of gambling. Responsible gambling (RG) is overall a highly complex and nuanced space to write in, and it’s rewarding to have put together one of the most comprehensive RG websites in the world, especially one with a player-first focus, something surprisingly novel in the industry.
I’m happy to boast that for our efforts we were awarded with industry recognition for best website—not just best responsible gambling website, which OLG won previously under it’s former RG platform, It Pays to Know.