In the first of his new series for iGamingExpert, Simon Vincze, Sustainable & Safer Gambling Lead at Casino Guru, shares how personal experiences have reshaped his responsible gambling philosophy.
I met with an old friend the other day. We had the standard long-time no-see conversation over a pint of beer. Explaining my line of work has always been a bit difficult, but he was no stranger to gambling. Even so, there was a hint of contempt in his reaction to the responsible gambling initiatives. “Why would anyone engage in any of that?” he asked.
I know what you are thinking, but this isn’t the usual “I do not have a problem” case. As we were already three rounds deep, I decided to investigate further. “How much are you spending a month?” I asked. He replied that he had managed to set a transaction limit at his bank, explicitly linked to his casino account, as well as a time limit for the app on his phone.
The most surprising part was when he showed me his records of wins and losses, written manually in his notes. When I replied that this was actually responsible gambling, and all that he does could be easily accessed from the operator, I was sent straight to hell.
Martin was clever and had always liked things done his way, but this made me think. He obviously had no trust in gambling operators, and his reaction to responsible gambling resembled banner blindness. His rare ability to control his gambling helped him mitigate harm. Not everyone is that lucky.
The responsibility for the reduction of gambling harm
Players have countless gambling options these days, and the final decision about whether and how to gamble falls on them. Any limits can be surpassed by joining a different operator, just as any self-exclusion can be bypassed. It’s not even possible to lock gambling away in a silo and keep it away from the underage population.
The road to decreasing gambling harm lies in empowering individuals to gamble sustainably. We as gambling stakeholders need to provide education, security, but most importantly, build trust and motivate players to do so.
I am a big fan of Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle. For those unfamiliar with his work, it explains how leadership can inspire trust, change and cooperation by focusing on the purpose of what they do, starting with a single question: Why? When I was looking back at my conversation with Martin, I realised we had gotten it the other way around.
The framework for supporting and empowering individuals
WHAT: “Please gamble responsibly.” “Gambling can be addictive.” For many years, efforts to reduce gambling harm were limited to these calls for action. All players are adults who should be responsible for their financial decisions, and asking them to act responsibly seems reasonable. However, it’s more complicated than that; we focused on the outcome, without explaining how and why anyone should follow our recommendations.
HOW: Focusing on the process is currently the most resonant approach in gambling harm reduction. This includes actively promoting the setting of limits, providing timely reminders for gambling sessions, recommending self-exclusion when things get out of hand, and conducting well-intentioned affordability checks. All of these features can be influential in reducing harm, but they require players’ commitment.
WHY: It’s no secret that players’ commitment to engaging in harm-minimisation activities is low, mainly because they feel that it’s not meant for them. However, such activities are helpful for all players, which requires a change in their perspective. The lack of trust in the operator’s communication hinders efforts to achieve that.
According to Sinek, both trust and change could be enhanced by focusing on the purpose. Therefore, asking players to gamble responsibly is just not enough. Focusing on the ultimate reason why we want them to do that and why it’s good for them can be far more influential.
Do not get me wrong. We have come a long way in making gambling safer. However, we have approached it from the opposite end of what creates positive motivation and change. It’s worth reconsidering our framework and moving to the Golden Circle of responsible gambling.
Hear more from Vincze, as he will be taking part in a debate on the Player Protection Stage during the SBC Summit in Lisbon on 17th September.
September 15 will see SBC organise a groundbreaking charity football event in Lisbon. Make sure you get the chance to see some of the most legendary names in football by securing your ticket today at https://www.legendscharitygame.com/
