Remote working is no reason for safer gambling standards to slip

The current crisis has forced online gambling organisations to undertake significant changes to where and how they work, with many being forced to roll out remote working for the very first time. This has impacted processes and procedures across all areas, with employees having to adapt quickly to ensure it is business as usual where possible.

This is certainly the case when it comes to business-critical areas such as compliance, responsible gambling and ensuring players are properly protected at all times.

Remote working is not an excuse for allowing standards to slip when it comes to safe gaming and compliance – if anything, it should make organisations dedicate even more time and resources to it.

The UK Gambling Commission has made it clear that this is a time for operators to reassess how they approach marketing, bonusing and safe gaming and not to see it as an opportunity to target players.

This is to make sure that players are sufficiently protected at a time when the country is locked down and economic uncertainty – for both the individual and the country – looms large.

But this presents significant challenges for operators, especially with the fractured and dispersed nature of employees and teams working from home. Ordinarily, meetings would be held and individual conversations had, while educational courses and training would take place in person with an expert. This simply cannot be done at present, and perhaps for the foreseeable future. But with education and training key to ensuring compliance, a solution must be found.

Remote learning

This is where online training courses come into their own, allowing organisations to educate and train staff to the highest possible standards but from home. There is a great range of courses out there, covering different markets, verticals and areas of compliance such as anti-money laundering and responsible gaming.

Indeed, now is the time for organisations to take stock of their compliance culture, audit their processes and procedures and ensure that staff training is up to standard.

For some organisations, compliance is and always has been a box-ticking exercise when the regulator calls, but these last-minute solutions that might have worked in the past no longer do. Operators and suppliers must be proactive when it comes to compliance and have the resources and technological frameworks required to meet standards rooted into their organisations.

Compliance best practice needs to be built into the everyday workflow of the organisation and permeate the entire workforce. It must be foundation and pillar. This is particularly key for operators looking to add new verticals and products over the coming months as they often require different standards to be met.

By ensuring a culture of compliance runs throughout the organisation, the organisation can be prepared so new markets can be entered and new products launched without fear of non-compliance.

Regulators around the world are closely watching operators – and the wider industry – during this time to ensure they are doing the right thing and protecting players.

Without a culture of compliance, and without regularly educating and training staff about compliance and the individual role they play, this cannot be achieved. These are challenging and unprecedented times for sure, but they also provide an opportunity for organisations to carefully assess where they are at when it comes to compliance.

And while it may seem tough to make the required improvements and continue to educate staff while working remotely, there are plenty of tools and resources out there that can help. Changes made now will ensure a culture of compliance from the top down, putting the organisation in the driving seat to survive the coming months while meeting the highest possible standards.

Remote working is not without its challenges, but it might just provide organisations with the opportunity they need to improve compliance and train employees. This is an opportunity that must be acted upon.

Jade Zorab is a director of Amber Gaming and is responsible for business development and strategy in the areas of gaming, ecommerce and training. She is also charged with providing a strategic management role in the development of gambling structures so that the firm’s clients remain optimally positioned to adapt to the changing regulatory environment.