The European Gaming and Betting Association publishes its Sustainability Report 2020/21
A clear objective is what emerges from the first annual Sustainability Report that the EGBA, the European Gaming and Betting Association, has recently published. Under the motto putting safe play at the heart of what we do the igaming industry lobby in Europe has prepared a document highlighting the efforts of online operators to create safe environments for gambling, thus leading the promotion of a safe and responsible gaming culture in Europe.
Safe environments and responsible gambling. At least on these two points there is no discrepancy between the industry and the regulatory authorities. ©Reginal/Pixabay
It's not just the industry that's worried . The head of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs Alberto Garzón is also committed to regulating a safer and more responsible igaming sector, and for this they have already begun to develop a series of guidelines that will surely bring cola.
After the controversial Royal Decree on commercial communications approved last November, the steps taken by the Spanish authority are aimed at encourage safe environments for play as a way to prevent addictive attitudes. This is a concern that it is not only limited to digital environments .
With the aim of consolidating and expanding Article 8 of Law 13/2011, the law that regulates gambling in New Zealand, these are some of the ideas a initiative of the DGOJ that are on the table today:
- creation of Responsible Gambling departments in online casinos with staff knowledgeable about responsible gambling policies and measures with the mission of supervising and developing these in the company
- increased control over gaming patterns with informative messages showing time played and money lost
- the limits set by the player himself in the games could not be saved, but must be entered again every 24 hours
- those considered in risk groups: under 25 and intensive players, would not be entitled to receive promotions or VIP prizes
The industry's efforts to create safe environments for gambling
The EGBA report is timely because it shows how the industry has been moving by own initiative in support of safer gaming for its customers, including through increased deployment of safe gaming tools and increased communications to promote safer gaming , as stated in the report published by EGBA .
The key data for 2020 that EGBA has brought to light, and from which Jdigital has also been echoed , are as follows:
- 75% of customers would have had at least one activated safe game tool , on a mandatory or voluntary basis, in their online betting accounts, which represents an increase of 61% compared to 2019 users
- they would have sent 2.8 million personalized communications to customers regarding their individual gaming behavior with the aim of promoting safer gaming; a 133% increase compared to 1.2 million personalized communications sent in 2019
- 14.2 million generic communications would have been sent to customers to encourage safe gambling.
From EGBA's point of view, the efforts made by the operators as shown in the report would be contributing positively to European society. Maarten Haijer, then Secretary General of EGBA, he concluded his assessment of the report highlighting the complicity of the operators and their leaders with responsible gambling policies :
“It is very encouraging to see that our members are already putting their commitment into practice through an increased deployment of safer gaming tools and communicating more than ever to their customers about safe gaming, and in an increasingly personalized and targeted way.”
Go on in the objectives that have been set EGBA members for 2021 in accordance with the principles of safe and responsible gambling stands out: consumer protection, promoting the responsible advertising , contribute to further research and understanding of online player behavior, safeguard customer privacy and data, and combat fraudulent and criminal behavior.
