Betting and Gambling Council Develop Software to Make Gambling Safer
The Independent self-exclusion, not-for-profit organization GAMSTOP will be running the new Single Customer View trial scheme to share data of those most at risk of gambling harm. The Betting and Gaming Gambling Council have been working in conjunction with the Gambling Commission to ensure that people who have a problem with gambling are protected from harm in the regulated gambling sector. For some customers, this will mean they may be prevented from gambling entirely and others may face additional safeguards.
Betting and Gaming Gambling Council Develop Software to Make Gambling Safer. ©Aidan Howe/Pexels
How technology can make casinos safer
People have often asked why gambling operators have been unable or unwilling to share data on problem gamblers. It is easy to understand that gambling companies are keen to protect sensitive trading intelligence but as they have a responsibility to keep customers safe, it is also important that there is a forum for competitors to come together. Up until now, a company can close the account of a gambler but that same person can then go on and set up a new account with another company and no one is aware of their history.
For years, credit card companies and banks have been able to share data through credit checks to ensure that this problem is minimized in their sector. Up until now, this is not something that the gambling industry has had the ability to do. The new system which is being labeled as a ‘Single Customer View’ is being trialed across the sector. The trial aims to make sure that people who have been identified at risk of harm are identified across all regulated operators. It is being run by GAMSTOP, who are a not-for-profit organization set up specifically to help people who have a problem gambling habit. They will be running this new system alongside their existing self-exclusion scheme.
What is the new scheme?
The aim of the ‘Single Customer View’ is to ensure that customers are kept safe. It would be unethical to share sensitive information (including financial information) of everyone who is registered to gamble but, at the same time, those with a gambling problem need to be protected. The concern is that if everyone has entered all their information in a national register, huge numbers of people would withdraw from regulated sites and gambling activity could be driven underground. While no one would argue against having a national crime register, it would be a massive infringement on personal liberties to have a similar resource for people who simply like to buy a lottery ticket or fancy a flutter on the football. The Single Customer View will only share information on customers who are flagged as requiring support.
Technological advances mean that safer gambling measures have come on leaps and bounds over recent years in the regulated sector. Customers are able to gamble in a safe environment online with algorithms that monitor their behavior and continually track player activity for signs of harm. This can then trigger action to enable rapid interventions to protect the player.
This does seem to have been effective as the UK Gambling Commission reports that the problem gambling rate in the adult population has fallen to three percent from six percent. The Single Customer View system will mean that if problems are detected, this information will be available to all gambling operators so that new accounts cannot easily be set up for the struggling customer.
Who is funding the scheme?
Over a million pounds are being invested in the trial. It is being funded by British Gambling Council members. The aim is to allow for proactive interventions to prevent incidents of problem gambling across all regulated betting and gaming operators. This will allow them to share data that doesn’t compromise commercially sensitive information.
With calls for tougher regulation of the industry, responsible operators are aiming to demonstrate that they are taking problem gambling seriously and doing everything that they can to support vulnerable people. The new trial scheme will be governed by a strict code of conduct. There will be controls around how operators engage with these customers and how their data can be deployed. As GAMSTOP has helped over 250,000 people through their schemes in recent years, they were deemed to be the partner who was perfectly placed to run this scheme for the industry.
When will it happen?
The trial has been in the offing for two years. What delayed it was concerns raised by the Information Commissioner’s Office regarding data sharing. After further assurances were sought, the scheme has been given the go-ahead and the trial will commence. It is due to go live by the end of March 2022. There is much talk in the UK of tougher regulation being imposed and the industry is keen to show that it can successfully regulate itself. The date for the review to be published is still unknown.
Wes Himes, Executive Director for Standards and Innovation for the Betting and Gaming Council said:
“I am delighted with the commitment from BGC members and the significant financial investment they are undertaking to get on with delivering this scheme quickly. We are committed to ensuring the trial scheme which focuses on those most at risk is proportionate and effective. We are getting on with the work of change and once again, demonstrating that despite the challenges and complexities, when it comes to safer gambling, technology is our friend.”
Gamble Aware focusing on Women
Earlier in the week, Gamble Aware announced that a report will be published later year which highlights that while problem gamblers are disproportionately male, the number of women seeking help has doubled over the last five years. A study has shown that traffic to sites that are popular with women like peaks in the winter.
Therefore, any action that the industry can take to work together to reduce risks to the small proportion of people who have difficulties with their gambling habits, should be welcomed across the board. While Single Customer View is only a trial at the moment, full implementation might go some way to reassure lawmakers in the UK that the industry is taking the issue very seriously.
