Will Safer Gambling Week protect players better than responsible gambling did?

Sarah Ramanauskas is a senior partner at Gambling Integrity, which helps operators focus on safer gambling. She talks to leading researcher Dr Michael Auer about how gamblers respond to messages about their habits.

Most readers of the Racing Post will be familiar with the instruction to "gamble responsibly" and with the suggestion from the gambling industry that you can stop "when the fun stops". Responsible gambling has a page on the website of every UK-licensed gambling operator, along with responsible gambling tools such as deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion.

However, the gambling industry is now moving away from the term responsible gambling and replacing it with safer gambling. Is this just playing with words or a move that will really protect more gamblers from harm?

At Gambling Integrity we think the term safer gambling more clearly implies gambling can be harmful. It is less judgemental than responsible gambling which, for players who are suffering from a gambling addiction, implies they are irresponsible and should be able to control their behaviour. Anyone who has been in the grip of addiction or has been close to someone struggling with addiction, knows how difficult it is to stop.

While significant improvements in player protection have been made in the past few years for online and retail gambling in the UK, there is room for more and better safeguards. Dr Auer is an expert on what can be done to make gambling safer.

Michael, what do you think safe gambling looks like?
Gambling should be like a rollercoaster. You don’t have to think about safety when you step on board a rollercoaster, you're just looking forward to the thrill. Gambling operators need to create the same environment, where safety is built into the experience. Just as you expect the rollercoaster to provide an exciting ride without fear of falling off, so a gambling site should offer excitement and entertainment in a way that won’t end in harm.

Gambling operators use responsible gambling messages to reach out to players they think might be at risk – could it be done more effectively?
It is definitely best if messages are tailored to the player’s behaviour, rather than being a standard "you’ve been playing for an hour". Don’t try to tell the customer how they compare to the general population – every football bettor thinks he is smarter than the rest.

Also, operators tend to reach out when a player has done something risky such as chasing losses. At that point the person is likely to be in a negative state and won’t respond to messages about playing responsibly. It’s better to reach out at a time when the player is likely to be in a positive mood, for example after a win.

What else could the gambling industry do to enhance the safety of the gambling environment?
Look to other industries for inspiration and best practice. Your phone tells you how much time you’ve spent online in the last week so your gambling app could do the same. Banking apps make it clear how much you are spending each week and whether it’s increasing or decreasing, with simple charts. Again, this idea could be adopted by gambling companies to make it more obvious, more quickly, how your gambling behaviour is changing. That gives you the information you need, in a clear way, to get back in control before it’s too late.

Do you have one key message to operators for how to help players gamble safely?
In a word: transparency. Explain to customers how their information is being used and why. Present information in clear, simple terms. Explain that procedures such as asking for bank statements are a way of keeping everyone safe by reducing fraud. Give players the tools and information they need to monitor their gambling spend. And make sure you reach out to them in a positive way if you think they need more help to stay safe.

safergamblingweek.org

National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133

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'I was working all hours but had no money. Just gambling to extinction'

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Regulator tells operators to believe in better responsible gambling or quit

If you are concerned about your gambling and are worried you may have a problem, click here to find advice on how you can receive help