Work with the gambling industry is central to GamCare’s prevention strategy. GamCare’s work with the industry means that we are able to adapt and develop our services to meet changing industry needs. In turn the experience gained working with problem gamblers in treatment feeds directly back into the information, advice and accreditation we give to Casinos through consultancy, training and GamCare Certification. So GamCare’s work with the industry becomes a virtuous circle of development.
For ten years GamCare has been providing social responsibility and player protection training to the gambling industry. GamCare Trade Servi ces, operates as a social enterprise charging for services on a cost recovery basis. Any small profit made is ploughed straight back into providing front line services. GamCare social responsibility training is led by former casino professional Teresa Tunstall, GamCare’s Head of Training and Development, who has 6 years’ experience working in casinos before joining GamCare where she has also volunteered on the HelpLine. Teresa uses her wide industry experience to bring the training to life and draws on real experiences to support the various lessons given throughout the day long course. During the training students are encouraged to interact and discuss their experiences, as well as being given information about indicators, likely characteristics and information about the motivation behind a problem gambler. Feedback from casino professionals tells us that those who have had this training feel more confident in speaking to a customer and signposting to GamCare.
This year GamCare launched GamCare ExTra, a web based social responsibility and player protection training package developed to provide basic level training for the gambling industry at the customer service level. As a web based e-learning tool GamCare ExTra can be delivered worldwide at minimal cost. ExTra can be completed in quiet periods and can be returned to at any time for refresher training. Once the course is complete, trainees are awarded a GamCare Certificate confirming successful completion of the course – recognising achievement and providing assurance to line managers that staff are fully trained. GamCare training, either face to face or through GamCare ExTra, is vital to provide staff with confidence in identifying a problem then taking action to signpost a customer to help.
GamCare Certification is a third party accreditation recognised in the UK, Europe, and Worldwide as the gold standard for social responsibility. The scheme has gone from strength to strength over the last few years and it is now considered a “must have” for respectable operators both land based and online. Certification requirements include age verification procedures, self exclusion policies, Social Responsibility Training, awareness of licensing requirements (the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice) and display of information about sources of help. GamCare Certification is renewed bi-annually for land based casinos and annually for online. The GamCare Certification logo gives customers extra reassurance that they are playing with a casino that takes their welfare seriously. GamCare’s prevention strategy extends outside the UK with other European operators such as Austrian Lotteries now GamCare Certified. GamCare’s Head of Business Development Stella Dalton – who has over 20 years experience working in casinos - said “wherever an operator is based, if our standards are met and player protection measures are followed they may be GamCare Certified”.
We know that working to stop problems before they begin, or take a hold, is the shared objective of GamCare’s work with casinos. GamCare want to expand this prevention work to create a dedicated young people’s awareness raising and advice service. GamCare very rarely lobbies Government, but it would like a more comprehensive understanding of risk and probability taught in schools. In 2010 Jane Rigbye GamCare’s, Head of Education Development, released a study called ‘Beating the Odds: Preventing Teenage Problem Gambling’. An Ipsos Mori survey published in 2009 revealed that 2% of 12-15 year olds were estimated to have a gambling problem. This is some 60,000 young people – a prevalence rate which, while reducing, is still more than twice that for adults, yet GamCare’s research shows that only 5% of parents would think about discussing responsible gambling with their children. What is important is that young people are given the information to make informed choices. GamCare has a comprehensive education and awareness programme, including online and outreach work, ready to roll out into schools, colleges and youth groups as soon as they are able to secure funding.
For further information on any of the issues raised in this article, please visit the GamCare Trade Services website at:
www.gamcaretradeservices.com 38
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