What Steps are Operators Taking to Protect Players?

Posted by Harry Kane on Saturday, May 2, 2020

It seems that with every passing week, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has to hand out a new financial sanction to an iGaming operator. In fact, 2018 saw UK betting firms hit with a cumulative total of £19.7 million in fines, and this number has risen exponentially ever since.

Since January of this year alone, for example, regulatory action by the Commission has led to operators paying a staggering £27 million in penalty packages, for a variety of failures around money laundering, social responsibility and questionable VIP packages.

Despite this, it’s fair to say that the vast majority of operators are adhering to the UKGC’s standards, while others are striving to exceed these and establish themselves as ambassadors for responsible gambling in the UK.

In this post, we’ll address the proactive steps that operators are taking to safeguard their players, from relatively standard measures to those that are helping to underpin market leaders in responsible gambling.

1. Offer Direct Help And Assistance to Problem Gambling

As part of their contemporary license agreements, UK operators are now required to promote responsible gambling through their platforms.

This includes providing direct links to charities and organisations that can actively help problem gamblers, or even those who feel as though their gambling activity is beginning to spiral out of control.

One of the biggest organisations in this respect is GambleAware, and it’s interesting to note that this group was recently pledged £9 million in additional funding to help support those in need.

This funding was taken directly from operator profits, following an intervention by the regulator and a desire to invest more in tackling gambling-related harm in societies throughout the UK.

More specifically, the cash will be distributed across various treatment programs and support services for those who have already been plagued by problem gambling, while also being used to help launch proactive initiatives that prevent the issue at source.

According to the Gambling Commission chairman Bill Moyes, this is money well-spent in the digital age. “In the current climate, and with the growing risks to UK consumers in mind, we’ve decided to fast-track this settlement,” he said. “This is in addition to our own tough and flexible regulatory system, we can help to manage this elevated risk while minimising gambling harm.”

The latter point is telling, as the commitment of operators to promote responsible gambling organisations such as GambleAware helps to ensure that those who are struggling with compulsive behaviour have access to even greater levels of support when they need them the most.

Clearly, this partnership helps to create a two-pronged approach to helping problem gamblers, although it’s fair to surmise that GambleAware aren’t the only organisation offering practical assistance in this regard.

GamCare is another charitable organisation at the forefront of responsible gambling, and one that provides help and counselling to individuals with a gambling addiction. There’s even a GamCare Forum that people can join anonymously if they wish to, and this enables them to talk directly with staff members or those who have experienced similar issues.

Of course, these organisations largely operate online, whereas industry staples such as Gamblers Anonymous have local groups and meetings dotted throughout the UK.

This is a great resource where you can find support and advice from others who are going through the same challenges, and once again the best and most reputable operators should be providing contact details and further information on their websites.

2. The Introduction of Obligatory Loss Limits

If you’ve recently frequented an online casino, you’ll know that most operators now offer various controls that enable players to take charge of their gambling activity and behaviour.

These include a variety of measures, from basic options such as setting deposit limits to others that enable you to regulate individual bet limits and even take an indefinite break from gambling (typically referred to as a “cooling-off” period.

The latter can stretch anywhere from five minutes and upward, while stopping just short of the minimum threshold for self-exclusion (we’ll have a little more on this later).

However, some operators are continuing to push the boundaries in this respect, as they strive to implement more stringent protective measures and compel players to wager more responsibly.

For example, the online casino brand Videoslots has recently introduced new obligatory loss limits, which are now applicable to all players in the jurisdiction of the UK.

This is one of the very first instances in which mandatory loss limits have been imposed on players, and while it has to be seen whether this measure is permanent, it’s a proactive and robust approach to managing rising levels of participation in the iGaming marketplace.

But how exactly will this work? Well, in simple terms, individual customers will be asked to set personal monthly loss limits on their respective accounts, with this being a prerequisite to placing an initial wager.

Once these loss limits have been implemented, it will take a period of seven days for players to make any further changes to their initial limits, while they’ll be contacted directly during this time to discuss any amendments in greater detail.

Of course, this methodology is similar to the rules currently being imposed by operators nationwide, with the main differences being the sheer level of enforcement and the fact that these loss limits are completely mandatory for all players.

In this respect, the brand is clearly looking to transform loss limits into a proactive and preventative responsible gambling measure, and one that compels players to take action before they begin to develop compulsive or problematic habits.

When unveiling their new plans, Videoslots revealed that they expected other UK operators to follow suit in the near-term. This is to be expected, as brands are beginning to realise that adopting a proactive and aggressive approach to responsible gambling is what will set them apart from their rivals in the coming months and years.

This will certainly be an interesting space to watch in the future, and one that could slowly but surely change the face of responsible gambling in the UK.

3. Integrate GAMSTOP Services Onto Their Website

You may have read recently that two operators had their licenses suspended for failing to fully integrate the GAMSTOP self-exclusion service onto their websites. This became mandatory as of April 1st this year, after it was revealed in 2019 that a number of operators had refused to participate in the project.

This is the latest in a long line of GAMSTOP controversies, with this national and free to action program having experienced a range of issues since its inception.

At its core it has a relatively simple premise; as players who have self-identified as having an issue can access the site and self-exclude from gambling for a period of between five months and six years accordingly.

This is why the UKGC is so keen for all operators to integrate GAMSTOP service into their websites, as this takes care of any potential loopholes and creates a barrier that stops problem gamblers from indulging their compulsion.

Of course, the software has experienced other issues since its inception, such as the fact that it’s relatively easy for players to retain access to gambling sites simply by creating a different email and username to the one that they registered with on the GAMSTOP site.

Despite this, GAMSTOP now has more than 130,000 registered users, nearly 75% of which have opted for a full five-year ban. What’s more, an estimated 42% of all users are aged between 25 and 34, with this demographic having been previously ear-marked as the most likely to display problem gambling behaviour.

This underlines the immense potential of the service, and by complying with the UKGC’s latest directive and integrating this software onto their website, operators can play an integral role in safeguarding players who have been courageous enough to identify a potential problem and actively seek help.

The value of this shouldn’t be underestimated, especially as it’s a relatively small gesture that has a huge impact on minimising gambling-related harm in the UK.

4. Invest in Progressive and Predictive Responsible Gambling Tools

As we’ve already touched on, some operators have blazed a trail for others to follow when it comes to responsible gambling.

The popular Mr. Green brand definitely comes to mind in this respect, with this iconic gambling brand having developed its trademark ‘Green Gaming Predictive Tool’ as a way of tackling problem behaviour proactively and head-on!

This tool was launched way back in Q1 2018, when Mr. Green announced that this should serve as an inspiration to others operators in the marketplace. It certainly grabbed the attention of industry stakeholders, thanks largely to its unique use of data analytics and predictive technology.

OK, we hear you ask, but what is the purpose of this software? In simple terms, it analyses player behaviour in depth and tremendous details, before helping individuals to track their activity in real-time and calculate their prevailing level of risk.

This process starts with a self-test completed by the player, who must answer a number questions about their activity and playing habits.

Once this has been completed, players can track their actual playing patterns in real-time via a single interface.

This is where the predictive tool really comes into its own, as the answers provided by players are used to create risk zones that are relevant to their behaviour; namely low-risk (the green zone), medium-risk (the yellow zone) and high-risk (the red zone).

When tracking their activity, the tool will indicate which zone a player is operating in, highlighting whether or not they need to consider taking preventative action. From here, they can pursue a number of different options, from setting account limits or cooling off for a period to entering into the aforementioned self-exclusion service by GAMSTOP.

There’s some brilliant science behind this software, with the actual playing patterns showcased by players measuring a number of complex variables such as risk, intensity, volume and change. This independent data is then combined with each customer’s own perceptions, creating an accurate risk profile that can inform players accordingly.

This also informs the Mr. Green website regardless of what steps the player takes; as it looks to tailor its marketing materials and promotions to ensure that at-risk players aren’t encouraged to wager more.

Interestingly, other operators have been slow to develop similar technology in some instances, while others use this type of software on a slightly smaller scale.

However, it’s definitely something that operators are investing in to one degree or another, as the goal shifts from simply supporting problem gamblers to safeguarding those who have the potential to develop compulsive or damaging behaviour.

Going forward, this is undoubtedly one of the most effective steps that operators can take in the quest to protect their customers, especially as the technology evolves and the algorithms become more precise. As part of this process, operators will also be able to collate and analyse large data sets, enabling the predictive technology to become far more intuitive over time.