The spotlight on responsible gambling is growing brighter. How can online casino and sportsbook operators actively promote player safety? Slotegrator highlights 5 clear steps they can take.
Responsible gambling is a cornerstone of the modern iGaming industry. The growing recognition of its importance throughout the industry is a sign of iGaming’s maturity; instead of just paying lip service to regulations, brands want to actively promote responsible gambling.
There are a few reasons for this. One is the unfortunate social stigmas that surround the gambling industry, (unfairly) lumping it in with alcohol and tobacco as a needless and destructive vice. Focusing on responsible gambling is a way to combat the stereotypes.
Another reason is that consumers are demanding greater scrutiny of the companies they buy from, and there’s a greater cultural emphasis on, and expectation of, upstanding moral conduct. This is especially true when it comes to members of Generation Z, who will gladly pay higher retail prices for brands that emphasize their environmental, social, and governance credentials.
So, for one reason or another, gambling brands are putting responsible gambling front and center. Here are some examples of concrete steps that online casinos can take to promote responsible gambling.
1: Help your players protect themselves with safer gambling tools
One of the best measures that operators can take is to put the power in players’ own hands.
With the right tools, players can monitor their own betting and take appropriate actions when they need to. All iGaming platforms should have the option of setting deposit limits. These let players decide ahead of time what kind of budget they can afford to play with. Most players will be able to stay within their limits, only spending as much as their budget allows.
Nothing’s better than losing track of time because you’re so engrossed in an activity you enjoy. But, with gambling, that’s not always the safest option. It’s often said that land-based casinos eschew clocks to help their visitors lose track of time; not so for their online counterparts.
Instead, they often have the option of reality checks, pop-ups that notify a player how long they’ve been on the platform. The reality check can also show players the total time they’ve been logged in and the total amount they’ve wagered.
And, of course, there’s simple self-exclusion. When a player feels that they’re spending too much time or money on your casino or sportsbook, they should have the option to effectively blacklist themselves. They can choose the time period that suits them best, and come back once they feel more secure.
2: Communicate with the players
You can make responsible gaming a focus point in your messaging with your players. Faruk Aydin, chief revenue officer at Revpanda Group, says:
“I think responsible gaming extends beyond operational measures and into the way casinos communicate with players. From a marketing perspective, I believe that being responsible means creating campaigns that promote healthy play habits, like encouraging deposit limits or taking breaks. For example, adding reminders about self-exclusion or time limits into ads or email campaigns can show players you genuinely care about their well-being. I noticed that some brands are even using targeted marketing to spot risky behavior and step in with helpful messages or resources. It doesn’t only build trust, but it also shows that the casino is ethical and puts players first, which is a win-win in such a regulated industry.”
The right messaging can both help protect players and establish the right reputation for your platform.
3: Protect vulnerable populations with AI-powered ID verification
Some jurisdictions have self-exclusion databases. This is where a player can register with the database and have themselves excluded from all licensed platforms in that jurisdiction.
It’s an increasingly common phenomenon in regulated markets, and possibly one of the big advantages of regulation — governments without regulated gambling don’t have the same option for helping players who are developing a problem, and they certainly don’t have the cooperation of the gambling platforms themselves.
Typically, in markets with a database like this, operators will be required to register for the database and face fines for allowing self-excluded players to play.
However, it’s very common for players to have a change of heart and try to open up another account once they’ve self-excluded. Obviously, it’s better to help them trust their initial instinct that it’s time for a break; trying to cut a break short is a sure sign that you need it.
You might assume there’s nothing you can do about it if a self-excluded player wants to play badly enough that they’re willing to commit some light fraud, but it’s easier than you’d think.
ID verification processes have become much more effective with the use of artificial intelligence. Modern platform software is capable of cross-referencing new identification information with a database of established accounts and notifying an operator if a name, address, or email address has been repeated (which will undoubtedly happen if a self-excluded player tries to open a second account).
4: Protect your players with AI-powered player behavior analysis
Players have habits. They tend to log on at regular times, play regular-length sessions, and spend around the same amount each time. Sessions that deviate from their standard patterns might mean nothing — maybe they have a little extra time or money on hand — or they could mean everything.
There are certain behaviors that have been proven to be associated with problem gambling. Chasing losses (betting more and more after a loss to try and regain what’s gone) and betting late at night (especially if it’s outside their regular betting schedule) both indicate that the player is developing a problem.
So, what can operators do?
With the right software, they can actively monitor their players for exactly these patterns of behavior and deliver notifications that they might consider taking a break.
In fact, Slotegrator’s turnkey platform comes with options for 3rd party plugins that can track and analyze player behavior — including the behaviors mentioned above that are associated with risky gambling.
5: Be a part of the community
Many markets have their own organizations for the prevention of gambling harm.
In the UK, for example, players can turn to Gamstop or Gamcare if they’re struggling and need help. It’s often a part of licensing conditions that platforms display the logos of the relevant local organizations, or even links to their sites.
But the bare minimum is never an ideal benchmark. There’s so much more that brands can do, such as participating in events dedicated to responsible gambling and donating to organizations that research gambling harm and ways to prevent it.
You can also have certain key player support personnel trained and certified in how to spot and behavior indicative of gambling harm and take appropriate action, such as requesting that the player exclude themselves or, if necessary, excluding them from the platform.
There are trade organizations dedicated to improving the industry’s standing in the community. The more brands that join them, the better. You can choose to be part of a group that sends a loud, clear message that gambling harm is a serious issue, and you take it as seriously as it deserves. These trade organizations will sometimes have public codes of conduct that they enforce among their members.
Slotegrator’s turnkey online casinos solution comes equipped with a range of versatile back office modules that streamline online casino management — including the promotion of responsible gambling.
With Slotegrator’s platform, you can activate reality checks and set the frequency of how often players will see the pop-up. You also have customizable self-exclusion settings. The default allows players to self-exclude for up to seven days; customizable options allow players to self-exclude for years or even decades. Plates can also choose staged self-exclusion, with longer cooling-off periods enforced each time they choose to self-exclude.
Furthermore, the platform comes equipped with the option of third-party plugins to closely monitor player behavior for the signs mentioned above, such as loss-chasing and playing at night.
Also, the Anti-fraud module in the platform allows operators to set their own thresholds for duplicate information and assign bulk actions to be triggered if the threshold is reached — for example, an automatic block if the same email address is used for more than one account. This protects both the player and the casino.
Responsible gaming should be a priority for all of us. By doing what we can to promote safer gambling, we can improve the industry’s reputation and stop problem gambling before it starts.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.
The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.
The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.
Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.
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