Rank hires Experian for affordability checks on online players
Experian service will enable assessment of consumer spending on gambling sites
Rank has become the first operator to sign up to a affordability-checking service with online credit checking company Experian.
The Experian Open Banking service allows operators to access account information including weekly income and expenditure and how much they spend with other gambling websites.
Experian said this will enable operators to isolate patterns of behaviour that indicate problem gambling.
The service allows consumers to prove they are gambling at a level they can afford, while allowing operators to meet their responsible gambling obligations.
In June, the Financial Conduct Authority gave Experian permission to offer Open Banking services, allowing them to use current account information to help organisations understand the suitability of products and services they provide.
Rory Howard, director of customer diligence at Rank, welcomed the new initiative, calling it “a fantastic opportunity for gaming organisations to work collaboratively with an organisation such as Experian”.
Howard added: “The automated exchange of data in association with advanced analytics will enable us to help our customers gamble within their means.”
Rank confirmed it will conduct a proof-of-concept trial of the service, with the aim of launching a full service to its customers in the next few weeks.
Tom Blacksell, managing director of B2B at Experian said the company was in discussions with several of “the biggest gaming companies in the UK” about adopting the service on their respective platforms.