InternetSafety Selected to Power BetStopper, Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation’s Program to Combat Youth Casinos and Gaming

InternetSafety today announced that it developed and is powering the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation’s (NSGC) new BetStopper software, a free tool being offered toNova Scotia families to help combat online youth gambling. The program - the world’s first online gambling blocking software - utilizes InternetSafety.com’s award-winning web filtering technology to prevent users from accessing online gambling sites.

BetStopper was introduced at the 5th Annual We Love Our Children Expo that took place last weekend inNova Scotia. The software was developed in response to research showing thatNova Scotia youth are gambling online three times more frequently than adults. Many of the more than 2,500 casino-style Internet gambling sites fail to enforce access and age restrictions. Some studies have shown that that the average adult problem gambler started gambling at age 10, so youth gambling is a real concern.

NSGC selected InternetSafety.com as its technology provider because of the market success of the company’s web filtering products over the last decade as well as prior participation in other Internet safety initiatives such as the Australian government’s NetAlert program for protecting Australian families online. TheNova Scotia crown corporation rejected other filtering solutions that were ineffective in blocking gambling sites.

“We have a long-standing commitment to building the most responsible gambling industry in the world. As part of that effort, we decided to equip families with free software to thwart attempts by underage children to reach online gambling sites. To do that, we needed a partner with proven web filtering expertise,” said Marie Mullally, President and CEO of NSGC. “The BetStopper program that InternetSafety.com developed with us will be a cornerstone of our social responsibility platform moving forward.”

“In 10 years of specializing in helping parents shield their children from the unsavory side of the Internet, this is the first time we have been asked to create a product specifically to address underage gambling,” said Forrest Collier, CEO of InternetSafety.com. “The Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation is taking an innovative approach to the problem that we expect will establish them as a role model for other gaming agencies around the world.”

BetStopper utilizes technology that InternetSafety.com developed for its Safe Eyes(R) software, a suite of Internet filtering solutions enabling parents to protect children from exposure to objectionable Internet material on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. Safe Eyes checks requested websites against a massive blacklist of potentially objectionable Web addresses that is automatically updated on a daily basis. It also allows parents to control Internet use by length of time as well as time of day and day of the week, block or record instant messenger chats, limit email use to certain addresses, and receive alerts when children post inappropriate or personal information on social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook.
InternetSafety.com has been a leading provider of web filtering solutions for consumers and businesses since 1999. The company’s flagship software, Safe Eyes, is the two-time recipient of the PC Magazine Editors’ Choice Award, earned a separate Editor’s Choice Award from LAPTOP Magazine, and was rated as the #1 parental control solution by America’s leading consumer advocacy publication. Other products include Safe Eyes Mobile(TM), the first family-safe browser for the iPhone, and EtherShield(R), a hardware appliance offering plug-and-play Internet filtering for business environments. The company’s products are used by customers in more than 150 countries.
The Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation (NSGC) is responsible for the business of gaming inNova Scotia. It is a crown corporation governed by the provincial Gaming Control Act, and is charged with leading an economically sustainable and socially responsible gaming industry for the benefit of Nova Scotians and their communities. Operations include ticket lotteries, video lotteries and casinos.