BETTER CHANGE STATESIDE
At Better Change we talk safer gaming all day and every
day with a variety of stakeholders in the industry, including those with lived experience and those who have made a lot of money from the industry. We also like to talk about the markers of positive play and how can the industry help itself and secure its future, we are not anti-gambling at all but want to go even further to protect players. What always strikes us is that a joined-up approach
between the various stakeholders is something which would have the greatest impact, and just as importantly have very little impact on the vast majority of people who take part in gambling on a weekly basis in a safe and responsible way. The single customer view might work, but would making
sure that someone who self-excluded from all online gambling stop someone with a serious addiction from placing a bet? Wouldn’t they find a way to do this in a variety of ways? As I write this article now, I could walk to several betting shops, pubs with slot machines, and even live on-course betting on both horses and dogs is only a short drive away. Not to mention the various arcades, casinos and bingo halls which seem to not get the same coverage as the online industry when it comes to player safety, or more specifically the negative coverage that the online industry gets. With the various tools available and ways to be blocked
from playing online, it strikes me that land-based gambling might be a place to where gamblers at risk of harm start to gravitate. This supports our notion of a joined-up method to help prevent harm. While in London last April at ICE, we had so many great
conversations about safer and responsible gaming including ones with operators, treatment providers and even technology providers who through the use of technology and AI had methods to protect people that sounded incredible! One person we met was Andrew Tottenham, he won’t mind
us saying it was great to chat to a ‘veteran’ of the industry and what struck us was our conversation about his company seemed very simple. I mean that in no way to detract from the importance of it, but what Andrew and Gamblewise offer is a very simple solution to help share responsibility to protect players who might be at risk of harm, in land-based gambling establishments. The technology behind Gamblewise is far from simple but the idea and execution of it is the beauty of what we thought was a very impressive product and idea. Mostly because it is something that can be implemented affordably and simply and most of all will protect some people, especially if they are wanting to take some responsibility for themselves. I have since been in touch with Andrew and asked him about his motivation to create Gamblewise and how he thinks it can have an impact. Andrew commented: “I noticed that all the safer gambling tools for land-based gambling were about exclusion and were in the hands of the operator; there was nothing where the customer was in the driving seat. I wanted to create a simple tool that placed the responsibility with the customer and would help them control their gambling. The idea is that a customer can set a time and/or a frequency limit on their mobile phone. When they play in a Gamblewise partnered venue as they reach the limit they have set for themselves the phone will buzz,
receive an email or a text message telling them that they have reached their limit. The customer can also set it to notify the venue manager that they have reached the time they set for themselves and want a tap on the shoulder to remind them. Gamblewise is a nudge, just like when you are at a pub and you are thinking of having another beer and your friend says, “come on let’s go, I think we have had enough”. It gives the customer the responsibility for that decision.” Please note, neither Myself or Andrew think Gamblewise will change the world and make all gambling safe for everyone, but without doubt what it will do as part of a joined-up approach is protect some people from gambling related harm. Just imagine if everyone within the industry could make that claim, with just a small change to how they do things. To steal the coaching theory of Dave Brailsford, Team GB cycling coach and one of the most successful sports coaches of a generation, “performance by the aggregation of marginal gains” is how Gamblewise can make a huge impact as a part of a larger solution. Now just imagine if as an industry we harnessed that approach, where could this industry be in ten years, or even six months! So, whose responsibility is it? To answer our initial question, it is fair to say that not one individual, group or stakeholder has responsibility. A combined effort to make gambling a safer environment for people at risk of gambling related harm and giving responsibility and tools to these people who might be at risk will 100% make gambling a safer form of entertainment. At Better Change we thrive on the challenges brought to us
from operators to not only meet their compliance regulations but also how we can help them go above and beyond and have an impact, and offer large or small aggregational gains to support and sustain the industry for years to come. Let’s have a chat about ways in which we can help you do this and if you are a land-based gambling establishment, talk to us about Gamblewise and why we support it.
david@better-change.org
JUNE 2022 29
wittayayut/Adobe Stock
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56
