By Damian Martinez, journalist at G&M News.
With 25+ years of experience in the gaming industry, how would you define the term “responsible gaming”?
I am about to say it looks like a way of living. But there have been changes overtime as well of course. When I started, I was lucky if I got a speaking slot at the very end of a conference. Nowadays, we start with Responsible Gambling as the topic to be discussed. Responsible Gambling or Safer Gambling, as they like to call it in the United Kingdom, but it all has to do with responsibility. In fact, shared responsibility as it not only the player him or herself, but the operator is responsible as well. Regulators have recognized that -and are working according to- these principles. It is not the word ‘responsibility’ that is important; is the actual acting of an individual and the behavior.
The sector is increasingly being urged to develop responsible gambling programs to minimize the impact of problem gambling on communities. How is G4 working with companies to help them combat this situation?
There is no doubt that the gambling industry and society at large are more aware of responsible gambling and understand the necessity of protecting players. My role is to ensure that gambling operators and suppliers work at the highest responsible gambling standards, thus minimizing risk and maintaining a healthy player database. We have developed the G4 Responsible Gambling Accreditation and Certification Program, where we have certified and helped many of the world’s leading operators and suppliers enhance their responsible gambling policies and practices. Our framework is based on multiple elements and many requirements. However, our role in combating problem gambling through the G4 certification can be summarized in four steps.
Can you please describe these steps?
Yes. 1) Instilling the correct mindset and corporate culture. We work with our clients to ensure that they look at gambling from the proper perspective, as a strictly fun activity, and that the management and employees know that. The foundation for protecting your players lies in how your employees perceive gambling. We thus heavily focus on training and employee education, from general awareness training to more specific training in conversation techniques, responsible marketing, and conflict management. We also stress that responsible gambling implies more than regulatory requirements, and support companies to go beyond regulation in ensuring the players safety; 2) Management structure. We encourage our clients to hire an RG manager. For larger organizations, we persuade them to have a separate RG department, independent of the compliance department and any commercial influence. We believe change always comes from the top, so having an RG manager with a clear strategy and goals guarantees commitment to the projects; 3) Player education and protection. Just like employee education, we believe that the operator has a role in educating players and offering all the transparent information to help them make an informed decision. We thus ensure that companies provide players with educational materials, warnings, referrals to self-exclusion and helplines, and game-specific information in clear and simple language. We also ensure that the operator offers all the necessary protective measures, such as limits setting and break-in-play features, and 4) Quality management and continuous improvement. Our accreditation process is based on the principle of continuous improvement. We ensure that companies have a system that allows them to collect and analyze data, identify gaps, and improve on a regular basis.
What are the requirements that a company must meet to achieve G4 certification, and which are this certification benefits?
The requirements depend on the nature of the business operation and regulatory requirements. For example, a land-based casino would have different requirements from an arcade or an online operator. The same goes for regulation. We always consider each region’s regulatory requirements; for example, in some areas, it is illegal to register player data or ask for identification upon entering an arcade. In those situations, we ensure that our requirements do not contradict the regulatory requirements. However, there are minimum standards that a company needs to achieve to be certified. At least 80% of staff must complete an Employee General awareness training designed or reviewed by experts in the field. The legal age for gambling must be visible, and proper measures must be taken to prevent minors from playing. The marketing material must not in any way appeal to minors or suggest that gambling is a way of achieving financial gains or any message that shows gambling in a context other than entertainment. That includes unrealistic bonuses, using sexual images role models or suggesting that gambling is a way to build wealth and success. In no way should the company offer credit or encourage players to chase their losses. The operator should ensure that responsible gambling messages, as well as referrals to a national helpline and self-exclusion program, are visible to all players. The company mission statement should demonstrate its commitment to responsible gambling signed by top management; a senior manager should directly oversee the progress and implementation of the strategy.
G4 provides responsible gaming programs for land-based and online casino operators. Which topics does the training cover? Why do you think it’s important to focus on these subjects?
Our training programs are in partnership with Assissa, which offers the full range of training from (short) basic e-learnings to extensive face-to-face training that can also include roleplay with a professional actor. Also, topics like “how to deal with customer service” and communication skills based on motivational interviewing techniques are part of it.
In your opinion, what are the challenges of the global gaming industry on responsible gaming?
The general market trend appears promising, with an increasing number of operators and suppliers embracing responsible gambling practices after realizing the significance of having a healthy and risk-free customer base. When companies prioritize responsible gambling, the player will instantly feel the difference, and trust among stakeholders will increase, making the overall interactions positive. Regardless, challenges are always present. I believe that the current pending issue is the problem of illegal gambling websites, which is always a difficult topic and an ongoing debate. Are we pushing players into the illegal market by applying restrictive RG measures? With the tightening of regulations, this fear has been growing, and it remains a challenge that the industry needs to collectively find a solution to.
