Handeling A Real Problem: Problem Gamblers
Published: Friday, April 08, 2005 Online-Casinos.com
Technology and commitment are making a difference
The most hardened and cynical online gambler exhibits perhaps unexpected sympathy and real kindness on the rare occasions when a problem gambler surfaces, hastening to steer him or her to sites where they can receive professional guidance such as Gamcare and Gamblers Anonymous.
It is not a common occurrence, but the relatively small percentage of online gamblers who have a problem controlling the urge to splurge (estimates seem to range between two to three percent) remains an area of genuine concern for reputable online casinos.
Regrettably, some of the operations further down the quality scale seem content to simply put a link on their sites and leave it at that - merely paying lip service to this critical area.
Several top-end groups, among them the Trident casinos King Neptune's, Vegas USA, Trident Lounge and Trident Poker go the extra mile and employ an in-house advisor to counsel on casino policies and supply professional guidance if required.
The international self-regulatory body eCOGRA is actively involved in promoting responsible gambling in the industry in general and among the 51 leading online casinos it regulates in particular.
It recently partnered with the international G4 responsible gambling organisation who's e-Gaming Code of Practice has already been successfully implemented at major online sites like PokerRoom.com, proving to be both practical and effective.
eCOGRA and G4 are in the process of introducing various new eGAP requirements which look likely to set the online industry benchmark standard for responsible gaming controls and procedures.
The ability to control admission to online gambling sites, or the alleged lack thereof has been one of the clubs with which the anti-online gaming faction has sought to beat the industry over the years, focusing particularly on claims to seek the protection of underaged or addictive gamblers.
Yet there are measures available and these are improving in an industry where a strong and growing commitment to responsible gambling definitely exists.
In a business without boundaries and little enforced regulation, there are nevertheless many responsible companies that have incorporated measures in their sites such as Verify Me or Verid. These are sites that go to extraordinary lengths to keep underage would-be gamblers out, using a variety of practical and technology-based techniques.
Showcasing their impressive URU product at EIG Barcelona last year was British Telecom, which has been signing companies up to its verification technology that uses checks across a wide range of massive everyday British databases to perform lightning fast Yes / No verifications in real time.
Many casino managements invest in specialised staff training and routinely consult with experts on patterns that flag a problem gambler, and there are those that make self-exclusionary facilities available to players who have realised that they have a problem before it goes too far.
The advent of smart cards is thought by many to be a great opportunity for the banks to play a bigger role in identifying underage persons in particular, but progress in the area has been slow and the scenario is not yet clear. In a world where surprisingly young people can obtain bank credit cards, more control would be useful.
For both moral and practical reasons, underage and problem gamblers are not good for business and responsible online casino operators are seriously committed to excluding them
