GamCare to unveil new safer gambling kitemark at ICE London

The Consumer Protection Zone (CPZ) is back at this year’s ICE London with more floor space and a new, high-profile location.

Safer gambling is seldom far from the headlines, with government ministers calling on the industry to do more to tackle the issue and the Gambling Commission in the midst of a consultation on its new national strategy to reduce gambling-related harms.

The CPZ was launched at the 2018 ICE London and this year has moved to a new high-footfall area adjacent to the Bingo Pavilion and the Totally Gaming Academy in the South Hall at ExCeL to reflect the huge importance that responsible gambling plays.

Among the exhibitors at the CPZ will be GamCare, Gordon Moody, Mindway, Sustainable Interaction and Young Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM).

GamCare will be using the occasion to unveil its Safer Gambling Standard.

It is a new kitemark which sets out to recognise gambling operators who meet and go beyond the requirements of gambling industry codes of practice and comprises a group of 12 sets of principles for social responsibility across online, land-based and B2C operations.

GamCare’s development director Mike Kenward said: “ICE London is the heart of the industry and the place where the conversation around consumer protection and customer welfare should be happening.

“We will be announcing the full rollout of our new standard in the Consumer Protection Zone where operators should be heading in order to focus on protecting their customers and sustaining their business.”

Kenward said that if operators did not protect their customers then those customers would go elsewhere.

He added: “There’s never been a better time for companies to focus on their processes and we’re hoping the industry will embrace the Safer Gambling Standard, not just because it’s the right thing to do from an ethical point of view but it’s also right from a business standpoint too.

“We will have already successfully trialled it with several operators before ICE London, but we want to do an official launch from the Consumer Protection Zone to talk people through the purpose of the standard, why they should get on board with it and what we ultimately believe it will mean to consumers.

“ICE London is without question the right place to launch this game-changing new standard and we’re looking forward to highlighting the operators who have already seen the positive effect when we present this in February.”

The new kitemark replaces GamCare Certification as the accreditation offered by the problem gambling charity.

It has been designed to review policy and procedures, digital interactions and corporate governance and culture with staff throughout a company, not just the customer-facing team members.

Kenward went on: “For responsible gambling measures to be effective, it is essential that they are integrated into organisational culture and flow throughout the organisation.

“Our new standard focuses on the totality of an operation, from board members and directors down to the front line. The standard is a kitemark which incorporates the experience of our service users, the huge level of collected evidence and industry research across numerous fields as well as GamCare’s many years of experience working across the sector.

“To support the new standard, we’re emphasising the significance of delivering comprehensive gambling-related training to individuals and organisations. We’re looking forward to talking to operators about our training programmes and how any money we generate via the sale of training and the Safer Gambling Standard is used to support our charity and pay back into a cause which is hugely relevant to the industry.”

Horne ready for latest test for the industry

Phil Horne, SG Gaming CEO, is ready for the test of April’s introduction of the £2 maximum stake on gaming machines, writes Jim Cremin.

He said: “As is typical in any industry, enforced restrictions and challenges only serve to drive innovation and new thinking, while also providing a renewed focus on other opportunities.

“As the new legislation comes into effect this spring, it is more important than ever for suppliers to ensure that they are supporting the industry on every level, from innovation to ongoing collaboration.”

Scientific Games (stand N1-560) has built up an industry reputation as one of ICE’s ‘must-visits’ and in that sense it’s business as usual.

Horne added: “It’s clear that the move won’t impede the ongoing development and evolution of games and technology available, or the importance of gaming to the overall LBO customer proposition.”

SG Gaming will unveil a new menu concept for the first time at ICE. The advanced functionality delivers a way of navigating and finding games, as well as adopting the latest technology to intelligently automate game placement. There will also be a new suite of games featuring a ‘Premium Play’ mechanic. This feature provides enhanced gameplay options, such as additional free spins, wild symbols, expanding symbols and additional win lines.

SG Gaming underlines that responsible gambling and player support continues to be a priority for the industry, with LBOs leading the way for other sectors.

Horne added: “Significant updates have already been implemented to the SG Gaming platform, while the business insights and analytics capabilities provide learnings to help develop new behaviour-tracking tools and protection measures. This ensures games remain entertaining and enjoyable, but adequate measures are in place to protect those who need it.”

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