Recently, we had the pleasure of speaking with Christina Thakor-Rankin to explore the topic of ethical gambling and hear her insights from the recent Ethical Gambling Forum forum held in Gibraltar.
Now in it’s fourth successful year, the Ethical Gambling Forum offers a distinguished lineup of speakers exploring key topics such as Safer Gambling and ESG. Attendees gain valuable insights from a diverse group of experts including C-level executives, Safer Gambling professionals, HR leaders, and specialists from a wide range of fields who share practical guidance, real-world case studies, and lead thought-provoking discussions on the most pressing challenges facing the industry.
How Do Forums Like the Ethical Gambling Forum Contribute to Real Change in the Gambling Industry?
Forums like the (EGF) are powerful because they bring together influential voices from all sides of the gambling industry in a collaborative space where the real industry challenges and dilemmas can be pondered. They help align a traditionally inward-looking industry with wider societal expectations.
Historically, gambling has only responded to regulation when absolutely necessary, but the increasing number of regulations from multiple jurisdictions has become a major challenge for the industry and in many cases a tick-box exercise. By convening all industry stakeholders at the EGF, we have the opportunity to move away from tick-box to real cultural change, which is our ultimate aim.
The industry’s positioning is shifting from vice to mainstream entertainment. That brings benefits, like reduced stigma and increased engagement, but also heightened scrutiny around issues like problem gambling. These forums offer a rare chance to unpack what’s working and what isn’t. They help us consider the interplay between the holy trinity – player, products, and public perception as well as how all of that ultimately affects the bottom line.
Who’s Leading the Way in Responsible Gaming, and What Can We Learn from Them?
Canada continues to be a leading voice in Responsible Gaming and has one of the better coordinated outreach programmes in the World. They have educational PlaySmart centres in all of Ontario’s land-based casinos, as well as educational projects for young people and close collaboration with social services.
The UK has also made significant strides in player protection in recent years, but is much more fragmented in terms of educational initiatives and treatment providers. Regulators have a difficult task to balance political pressure, public perception and industry profitability. The UK regulator has effectively created a blueprint for accountability – not just punishment, but genuine responsibility.
Customers aren’t just spending money – they’re placing their trust in you. And some of them are vulnerable. The industry has a duty of care to its customers and to its staff.
In the U.S. and parts of North America, regulators have taken note of Europe’s missteps and responded more quickly. We’re also seeing European regulators start to collaborate on how to make gambling safer across the board.
No one’s getting it 100% right, and that’s understandable. Customer needs and technology are evolving, the lines between gaming and gambling are becoming increasingly blurred, and younger generations, like Gen Z, expect brands to act responsibly and live their values.
Education around financial literacy and black-market operators is sadly lacking. The EGF brings all these topics into the open and to try to find solutions to ensure that all players are treated fairly and are well-aware of the probability of winning, the importance of setting time and money limits and making sure that their gambling activity remains enjoyable and recreational.
How Can We Reduce the Stigma Around Problem Gambling While Still Taking It Seriously?
Education and raising awareness are crucial to reducing stigma. The language we use is important too – it’s not helpful to refer to “problem” or “problematic” gambling and we are seeing this shifting to terms like “responsible gambling” or “positive play”. At the EGF, it was our aim to raise awareness through our training courses and educational activities as well as through our conferences. Ideally, we’d like to see gambling specifically covered in the PSHE school curriculum in the UK , much like drug education and financial education are mentioned.
It’s also worth noting that those working within the gambling industry are considerably more likely to develop harmful gambling habits than the general population, yet most safer gambling training initiatives are aimed at customers. By normalising the conversation, we make it easier for people to speak up.
Should There Be a Global Code of Conduct for Gambling Operators?
This is something the EGF has been calling for!
It would be much easier for operators to juggle the regulatory landscape if there was a global code, much like the accounting world have their International Accounting Standards. We are beginning to see some operators establish their own code of conduct – sometimes in advance of regulatory requirements – and this goes back to the values and moral compass point mentioned earlier. This may include voluntary self-exclusion schemes, setting a deposit limit at registration, and even providing customers with a dashboard showing them how much they’ve spent and enabling them to set a time limit. This forces people to think before they start playing.
If every login showed your net position, it would help ground players in reality. It’s like those anti-smoking ads that show how much money you’d save – linking your habits to real-world outcomes makes an impact, especially in online environments where physical cash isn’t seen.
What Topics Were You Most Excited to Spotlight at This Year’s Forum?
For the first time this year, we highlighted the work of treatment providers via our keynote speaker, Jody Bechtold. This provided a whole new angle, as it was the only opportunity many of them had ever had to speak face-to-face with safer gambling (operator) teams. The treatment providers also worked with affected others – family members, friends, and employers of the problematic gambler – which proved eye-opening for the safer gambling teams, who typically only dealt with customers. This led to discussions around how AI could have had a much more personalised and targeted impact when markers of harm were first detected.
This is what we are all about at the EGF: bringing all industry stakeholders together to start the conversations that would lead to real change. This is one of the most technologically driven industries in the world, and we must leverage that technology to help overcome the ethical dilemmas faced by the gambling industry.
A special thank you to Christina Thakor-Rankin for joining us in today’s edition of BettingJobs News. We look forward to seeing the Ethical Gambling Forum’s influence continue to shape the wider iGaming industry.
