Player Protection Forum

Event Phone: + 44 7734 215166

Player protection is a key ethical and commercial issue for anyone working within the gambling industry these days. The industry is firmly under the microscope and this doesn’t seem to be something that is going to let up anytime soon.

In the UK, there is a new inquiry being launched into the harms caused by online gambling by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Gambling Related Harm lead by Carolyn Harris, Labour MP for Swansea East. From May 7th all operators will be required to have stricter age verification checks in place requiring all new players to be verified through a third party or ID checks before they can deposit funds or even play free games. And the Advertising Standards Agency and Committees of Advertising Practice have recently published a revised list of standards designed to protect children and young people leading to greater restrictions for operators in terms of promotional activities. In addition there are mounting calls for a levy that would see gambling operators contributing significantly increased funds towards the prevention and treatment of gambling related harm.

This is all set against a backdrop of regulators implementing tougher restrictions and flexing their muscles when it comes to enforcing them. We’ve seen a number of sizeable fines over the past couple of years and there are a number of licence reviews underway.

The mainstream media are also fueling the fire, barely a week goes by without a story relating to problem gambling and the message seems to be that the operators are not doing their bit. This stance in turn drives negative public opinion and miss-trust in the industry.

In reality player protection is a very complex issue. There is no simple solution and the industry is working on multiple fronts to address the problems and minimise harm. There are calls for collaboration and at KnowNow we hope to facilitate just that. The Player Protection Forum will look into the causes of problem gambling, current thinking about how to combat it both in terms of prevention and treatment. We’ll also be talking about creating a business culture that supports best practice, spotting problems early and dealing with them effectively. We will bring together key stakeholders from within and around the industry and provide practical advice on what the next steps need to be.

We believe that change comes from within. Join us on 22nd May in London for what promises to be a lively and informative event.

Who should attend

• Senior management at gambling operators
• Heads of compliance at gambling operators
• Heads of Player Protection or Social Responsibility at gambling operators

• In-house lawyers legal professionals at gambling operators
• Anybody involved in player support and treatment services
• Consultants working with the gambling industry
• Regulators

Agenda

Time slots are provisional and exact timings may be subject to change.

09:00 Registration and refreshments

09:35 Opening remarks from the chair, review of the player protection landscape and what the Gambling Commission’s National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms might mean for operators.

David Clifton, Partner and Suzanne Davies, Partner, Clifton Davies Consultancy Limited

10:20 Psychology of problem gambling and identifying markers of harm 

Professor Mark Griffiths, Chartered Psychologist and Director of the International Gaming Research Unit

11:05  Crash course on self exclusion – your questions answered on when to exclude, who to exclude, is it better to exclude or close a players account?

Stephen Aupy, VP of Strategic Partnerships, gamban

11:40 Networking coffee break

12:15 Panel – How important is it to create an organisation wide player protection culture?

Moderator: Hannah Gannage-Stewart, Freelance Editor and Comms Consultant

Anna Hemmings, CEO, GamCare

Ian Ince, Global Head of Regulatory Affairs and Compliance, Playtech

Rob Mabbett, Gambling Therapy Manager, Gordon Moody Associates

David Williams, Director of Public Affairs, Rank Group

13:15 Networking lunch break

14:15 Operator perspectives from regulatory action to player protection initiatives

Lyndsay Wright – Director of Strategy and Sustainability, William Hill

14:45 Helping customers to help themselves by setting and tracking their own limits

Andrew Tottenham, CEO, GambleWise

15:15 Networking coffee break

15:35 Panel – Protecting the young and vulnerable – Prevention or cure? What is really needed to tackle this issue? What are roles do the various stakeholders play and are we all doing our bit?

Moderator: Joe Ewens, Managing Editor, GamblingCompliance

Mike Kenward, Development Director, GamCare

Gary Pine, Chief Product & Marketing Officer, W2 Global Data

Will Ridley, Brand Executive, Sky Betting and Gaming and Chair of the Young People and Student Advisory Group, YGAM

Adrian Sladdin, Independent Education Consultant 

16:35 Closing remarks and close of conference