By Damian Martinez, journalist at G&M News.
Which aspects of your company would you highlight and how are you adapting to the daily work with your team?
I started at Play North in December 2023 and it has been a fantastic journey so far. The company is extremely welcoming with a brilliant culture, and a lot of opportunities to grow and develop in the role of Head of Responsible Gaming. In the last seven months, we have been working on several different projects, from self-assessment tests, to re-doing our RG page on the website. It will be coming soon. We were also learning and reviewing all internal RG procedures to make our work as effective as possible to protect both our customers and the business. Working in the Netherlands market means a lot of quickly changing regulations with the objective to support our clients, so remaining compliant and pro-actively looking into more efficient and effective ways to review and interact with them is a big focus.
What does the responsible gaming concept represent to you?
For me, Responsible Gambling is supporting players in their journey to keep their gambling activity recreational. I believe this comes from a pro-active and educational approach, ensuring people are aware of the tools on offer to support their activity, and stepping in when we see deviations in behavior which might indicate gambling is becoming less fun and riskier for the customer.
Last May 2024, you were part of the panel “Responsible gambling in the digital age” at an industry trade show. What were the main topics and conclusions of the debate?
Yes, it was my first panel and a very enjoyable experience speaking with professionals in the industry. The panel focused a lot on how technology is evolving, especially regarding Artificial Intelligence (AI), and whether this is a viable tool in terms of responsible gambling, and the gambling industry overall. There was also discussion about new regulations in the United Kingdom’s market, and how regulations can affect and impact Responsible Gambling measures.
What is the key to expanding the idea of responsible gaming in society?
Responsible Gambling starts with education. Players need to know what the risks are surrounding gambling, and how to be aware of changes in their playing behavior which could indicate an increase in risk. Education is a proactive measure to prevent problems. However, society as a whole needs to destigmatize mental health issues, so that if people run into problems with their gambling, they feel more comfortable reaching out to friends, family and professional help centers.
Which has been your company’s initiatives during H1 2024, and what are you planning for the second half of the year?
This year we have adapted a lot of internal procedures regarding affordability checks for our clients, as well as focusing on developing our RG detection tool and our RG customer profiling system. This goes hand in hand with a lot of training for the team and other departments to make sure RG is fresh in everybody’s minds. For the second half of the year, we are working on procedures and systems to remain compliant and ready for the new RG Regulations the Netherlands Gaming Authority (KSA) will go live with in October 2024. It’s certainly a fast-paced industry.