As we mark Safer Gambling Week in the UK, we sat down with four industry experts to discuss the importance of responsible gambling practices and the role that technology plays in protecting players.
In the first of a two-part roundtable discussion, we ask whether the industry can do more to protect players from gambling-related harm.
CasinoBeats: Do you think the industry has done enough to ensure safer gambling practices are adhered to, or has it adopted a one-size-fits-all approach over the last few years?
Tom Farrell, CMO at ClearStake (left): Yes and no! I think there have been some good initiatives from within the industry, including applying spending limits to younger players, and improvements in the way risky behaviours are identified. At the same time, it would be fair to say that on the current big issue of financial vulnerability there has been a fair amount of heel dragging.
Ironically, the rather grudging way these checks are performed today (making it as hard as possible for all concerned, presumably to prove a point) actively damages the top line for most operators. If I wish for one thing, it is a positive engagement with the need to conduct affordability checks – and a commitment to make them as easy as possible for the customer.
Niklas Hopfgartner, Data Scientist at OpenBet’s Neccton: In Europe, gambling is quite heavily regulated which leads to high standards of safer gambling practices. For example, in Germany, a global deposit limit of €1,000 per month has been introduced for all players across all licensed operators and they must report how much each of their players has deposited.
A centralised system allows for a single customer view, where we observe a player’s gaming behaviour and can also ensure that self-exclusions are in place across all operators. However, the €1,000 limit is a one-size-fits-all approach, as you could argue that there are many players for whom losing even €300 a month is too much.
As a researcher, I believe we can always improve safer gambling practices, especially when it comes to designing regulations to protect all players.
Kimberley Broad, Chief Compliance Officer at Games Global (right): All sectors mature as industry stakeholders evolve and improve at what they do, and gambling is no different. As actors in the industry gain a greater understanding around safer gambling, more conversations take place around how to safeguard players, and more regulatory authorities engage constructively with operators – we all grow and learn. This is a combined effort and one we all have a role to play in.
Has the industry adopted a one-size fits-all approach historically? I guess that really depends upon your perspective. Looking at the different regulatory requirements across numerous jurisdictions which are relevant to a global business like ours, perhaps not, but I appreciate the sentiment behind the question. I do absolutely believe, for the most part, that the vast majority of actors were taking measures which they believed would be effective in keeping players safe.
It is important that the industry continues these discussions, picking up the stones and having a look underneath, then modify how and what it does to keep players safe by adapting, evolving and changing. One thing that has been incredibly welcome over the past few years is the effort that has gone into making it safe to have conversations relating to gambling which may be getting out of control. This has made it okay to admit problematic behaviour and ask for help. The measures taken by operators and regulators to put controls in place which are designed to give power to players to set parameters for their own play are essential and are demonstrably effective – if they weren’t then adoption levels would illustrate this. But we must continue our efforts to make sure that we all talk, share, support, learn and take action.
Ed Mitchell, Head of Data at Future Anthem (Left): The gambling industry has been moving in the right direction in recent years, aiming for a comprehensive approach to player protection. However, there is a clear opportunity to accelerate the pace of improvements given the advancements in technology that now enable player safeguarding.
Although a handful of operators have implemented real-time responsible gambling models, the vast majority have not yet adopted them. Integrating these models with personalised player interventions can significantly reduce the risk of player harm.
CasinoBeats: What technologies has your own company utilised to ensure players are kept safe when betting and gaming online?
KB (left): As a company, we look to engage positively and constructively in the markets where we are present. As a games supplier, this question has a different context than that of an operator dealing directly with the player as we are one step removed and do not have the same holistic view.
We are one piece of the jigsaw, so we look to support our partners by making sure that they have access to the information quickly, and easily, which is going to aid them in making decisions about their customers’ behaviour. Understanding user behaviour is critical in helping them stay safe and empowers operators to make interactions where they feel the player may be at risk.
EM: Future Anthem’s state-of-the-art technology allows real-time player protection, including binge-play detection. We have integrated this with personalised messages that give operators in-depth data on which behaviours have been flagged as risky. It also allows them to measure the impact interventions have on players. To detect risks we utilise advanced machine learning models that have been created by analysing millions of player sessions on a wide variety of gambling products.
NH (right): We are a gambling compliance services provider for responsible gaming, anti-money laundering, fraud, and advanced analytical CRM, so our customers are gambling operators, not players.
In terms of player protection, we follow a three-step closed loop process:
- We constantly publish academic studies on how we can utilise player-tracking and self-reported data to improve player protection.
- Based on our own academic research (and others), we improve our responsible gaming solution so that it aligns with our latest findings.
- We offer our scientifically sound responsible gaming solution to gambling operators, so that they can easily integrate it into their platform and provide it to their players.
Early identification of potential problematic gambling behaviour plays an important role. We use AI and machine learning algorithms to identify behavioural patterns which are associated with problem gambling, then carefully integrate these behavioural patterns into our risk scoring algorithm so that it remains transparent, yet sophisticated.
