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
