Today marks the beginning of Safer Gambling Week- a cross-industry initiative to promote safer gambling in the UK and Ireland.
The Betting and Gaming Council, the British Amusement Catering Trade Association (BACTA) and the Bingo Association have joined forces to create a safer betting environment. While licensed gaming and betting operators are implementing various tools to inform their customers about gambling-related harm, the Safer Gambling Week 2021 program aims to include even more businesses this time around.
Safer Gambling Week therefore serves as an opportunity for the entire gambling industry to have an open dialogue with customers, staff, and the general public about gambling responsibly, and provide clear signposting for further advice and support for front line staff and consumers alike.
Protecting vulnerable customers
This year’s Safer Gambling Week comes at a time when online gambling has experienced an exponential increase. Studies have shown that online gambling has soared during the course of the pandemic, especially among regular gamblers. They were found to be more than six times more likely to gamble online compared to before the pandemic– which raises clear concerns about the welfare of consumers.
As a result, customers may be spending or taking on debt that they can’t afford. We’ve previously highlighted how consumers are continuing to find themselves in vulnerable circumstances, and that more needs to be done to protect those who are at risk.
Now that customer wellbeing is becoming more of a priority than ever before, the gambling industry can take advantage of technology to provide a clear duty of care to vulnerable customers. Not only can operators protect themselves from financial and contractual harm, but they can also maintain commercial reputation and success for years to come.
So what can be done to protect at-risk consumers and help them stay in control of their gambling?
In support of safer gambling
At Rdentify, we understand that safer gambling is something that should be encouraged all year round. Indicators of problem gambling can be both sporadic and subtle; at-risk customers may be gambling across multiple chats and agents, and in the fast-paced worlds of customer support and retention, vulnerable consumers can often slip through the net. This needs to change.
We’ve therefore created sophisticated NPL technology to not only identify problem gamblers online, but also increase compliance with Safer Gambling legislation to reduce the risk of fines and reputational damages to operators.
Our Rdentify team is committed to delivering viable solutions for consumers, front line staff and stakeholders alike. Using our years of experience in the gambling industry, we’ve combined our expertise in data science, operations and customer support to create unique, tailor-made solutions for gambling operators. This helps consumers develop and sustain healthy gambling habits through positive intervention.
How this can be achieved
Digital tools and options are crucial when it comes to managing responsible play, which is why our seamless technology can identify signs of self-exclusion and problem gambling in online chats.
Utilising advanced AI, our unique platform uses cutting-edge machine learning and linguistics research to build accurate risk profiles from live chat and historic player data in real time. This can be built straight into your current CRM system, with full customer analysis available.
Use of Rdentify will not only lower the chances of fines by improving accuracy in identifying problem gamblers, but it also allows operators to review customer bases and ensures appropriate interactions have been completed.
We’ve also made sure that our platform is easy to adopt and use as part of your day-to-day customer support routine. Our new risk identification factors are continuously enhanced, which allows you to be confident that our product features are continually up-to-date and hassle-free for your business to use effectively.
Planning for the future
Together, operators and regulatory bodies can continue to champion higher standards across the gambling industry, and cement their social responsibility to consumers.
While things are certainly moving in the right direction, gambling operators must ensure that they are doing everything within their power to protect vulnerable customers. Covid-related restrictions have continued to ease, but gambling operators still need to be mindful that customers will be spending more time at home, and also online. Many consumers are likely to be feeling more isolated and vulnerable as a result of the length of the pandemic period, and face further uncertainty about their personal or financial circumstances.
By sparking a nationwide conversation about safer game play, the better we become at recognising the signs of problem gambling. We can then ensure at-risk individuals receive the support that they need, and help the online gaming industry operate as an entertainment activity rather than a consumer risk.
Looking to encourage safer gambling this week and beyond? Connect with our team directly to find out how we can protect you and your customers.