We are determined to create easy-to-use safer gambling tools to protect and empower our customers.

Michael Dugher
CEO, Betting and Gaming Council

PROTECTING AND EMPOWERING BETTING AND GAMING CUSTOMERS

Name: Designline Creative
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We will empower our customers to gamble safely through innovative products and tools that enable them to stay in control. Through continuous innovation, we are determined to find solutions, create easy-to-use safer gambling tools, protect financially vulnerable customers and create more consistent approaches to risk management.

DELIVERING ON OUR COMMITMENT

NEW CODE OF CONDUCT UNVEILED FOR THE DESIGN OF ONLINE GAMES

With the overarching aim of enhancing player safety, BGC and its members are committed to the principles of transparency, player education, innovation and research.

To this end, the inaugural code of conduct for the design of online games was developed in conjunction with experts from product, technology and game studios. The code enhances player protection by ensuring that safer gambling principles are fully incorporated into the design of online games before they enter the market.

BGC members have agreed to adopt a raft of measures to enhance player protection, including slowing down of spin speeds, banning gaming features which have caused concern and improving access to safer gambling information. The code also introduces further mandatory checks on players’ activity in order to introduce breaks in play.

In addition, the industry will, via its game design research lab, explore ways to improve the labelling of games in order to increase players’ understanding of key terms.

Phase one of the code has already been adopted by members and phase two will be implemented by the end of January 2021.

2.5 SECONDS minimum game cycle speed

Removal of turbo play to prevent players speeding up games

Removal of multi-slot play within a single gaming client so that the player cannot place multiple stakes on different games at the same time.

"The new Game Design Code of Conduct is yet another example of our determination to address concerns head on and meet our safer gambling commitments." Michael Dugher, CEO

NEXT STEPS

Greater transparency for players in the labelling of wins above and below stake
Addition of reflection to gaming sessions
Immediate access to safer gaming messaging
Mandatory player interaction

The Entain Group is determined to be a pioneer in ensuring and maintaining customer wellbeing.

Grainne Hurst
Director of Corporate Affairs, Entain

SAFER GAMBLING FOR OUR CUSTOMERS

Our aims

Encourage the widespread adoption and use of safer gambling tools
Improve how we engage and interact with customers showing signs of risky behaviour
Work with key stakeholders to solve the GDPR challenge to share data on vulnerable customers

Our progress

In our first year of operation, we have worked with our members to:

Develop an inaugural Code of Conduct for the Design of Online Games to improve player safety and tackle problem gambling.
Scope out and engage with technology providers and regulators on the commencement of a trial to share information on at risk customers between operators.
Start work on making safer gambling tools and customer support more visible and accessible, both on and offline, to help customers stay in control.

Going forward, we will:

Create new industry–wide standards to embed safer gambling practices through increasing the visibility and access to safer gambling tools and support.
Publish a minimum set of markers of harm and interventions to identify and interact with at-risk customers.
Develop clear and consistent product labelling and product information to help customers make informed choices.
Work with the banking industry to encourage all banks to offer blocking software for customers and under-age account holders
Work with government and the regulator to create a mechanism enabling gambling companies to share data on vulnerable or at-risk customers
Make funding and other support available for the providers of multi-operator self-exclusion schemes to develop the services and applications
Develop best practice guidance and standards to support online customers who have returned to gambling after a period of self-exclusion
Across all retail operations, develop and agree a set of triggers, appropriate to the venue and product, to identify and act on at-risk play customers, which includes an industry standard for staff-led customer interactions