2016 – Good Year for Responsible Gaming
Back in 2014 the Responsible Gaming Trust conducted a research, the findings of which proved possible the ability to spot problematic gambling behavior in players by monitoring their activity. Apparently the way people use the gaming machines in the licensed betting venues or online can be analysed and the data used to highlight some concerning patterns. This way we can catch potential addictions in the happening, which is just brilliant news. Based on that eye-opening result, a new initiative was launched by the Association of British Bookmakers. It is called Player Awareness Systems (PAS) and will work the following way:
- A system will be put in place to collect and analyse the gaming behavior of users once they login to their account
- The data will be checked against a number of criteria, flagging out if it is then indicated as problem gambling
- Alerts will be sent to the player (via sms, email or on the screen), warning them of the risk and directing them towards solutions – self-exclusion, sites of organisations that can assist them or staff members of the operator
PAS also will integrate the individual expertise and experience of bookmakers, allowing them to work on and implement into the system analytical algorithms, thus sharing the knowledge and increasing the chances of catching the problem at it’s very root. The system will be independently evaluated during this year.
The initiative was signed by all members of the Association of British Bookmakers, making it a historical event – the first one to have ever met a 100% agreement across the board.
PAS in hand with the ABB Code for Responsible Gambling are set to make the world of gambling much safer and pleasurable. The initial ABB Code for Responsible Gambling was launched in October 2013 and many of you will associate it with the introduction of the ability for a player to set a limit on the amount of time they play for, or the money they spend worldwide. Under the new code players will be asked to decide if they want to set a limit on the outset, as opposed to it being something they may/can consider.
Let’s sit back and watch how will this affect our games – both online and offline. It sure should be a huge improvement for players!