Q&A: Why single player identity could revolutionise gambling compliance

The proliferation of online gambling sites gives the consumer an array of choice when choosing who they want to gamble with and which games of chance they would like to play. With this extra choice comes a multitude of issues for operators, ranging from the question of data protection to the identification of problem gamblers.

A problem gambler who is identified and excluded by one may be able to continue to gamble on his or her other accounts with other operators, negating the positive work that the first operator has undertaken in identifying and excluding the problem gambler.

But what if instead of multiple identities with multiple operators, you were restricted to one identity in your gambling? Would this stop an individual identified as a problem gambler from continuing to gamble on other sites? This is the approach being taken by start-up firm Little Wheel, who’s founder Daniel Lim speaks to EGR Compliance.

EGR Compliance: There are lots of different initiatives to combat problem gambling, what is Little Wheel doing to differentiate itself from existing offerings?

Daniel Lim (DL): At Little Wheel, our vision is a centralised hub where players’ accounts are seamlessly connected. A single identity for gambling. We are delighted that problem gambling is in the spotlight. Individual operators have begun to improve their player safety tools. And automated systems for detecting at-risk players continue to develop.

But we know that the average player has 4 online gambling accounts. Problem gamblers tend to have even more. This means that individual operators have a partial view of players’ activity. And players must keep track of their accounts manually. In contrast, a single-identity solution provides operators and players with the complete picture.

EGR Compliance: What difference can a centralised gambling identity make to tackling problem gambling?

DL: Firstly, through preventative affordability measures, under which operators must establish appropriate spending levels for their customers. This is a condition of their gambling licence. And deposit limits give players the power to define their own spending caps. With a centralised hub, these operator and player limits are set and applied across all accounts.

They are easier to manage and harder to circumvent. Without this hub, players can hop from operator to operator, rendering limits impotent. A centralised identity also provides a panoramic view of betting behaviour. Players gain a clearer overview of their spending and habits. And operators can steer at-risk players towards safer play faster.

EGR Compliance: When do you plan to launch your software?

DL: We are currently completing a closed trial with William Hill in which we have integrated with their platform and are working with them to define the player journey. The next step is a multi-operator trial, launching in February 2019. In this phase, players can opt in to link their accounts with three operators. Through this opt-in trial, we can prove the effectiveness of our proprietary system for linking player accounts. We are interested in hearing from operators that want to take part, demonstrating their commitment to player safety.

We are also working with the Gambling Commission to incorporate their ‘evaluation protocol’ for minimising harm. Gaining approval from the regulator would speed up adoption of our solution. Yet, there is an opportunity for operators to self-regulate if they act quickly to embrace single identity.

EGR Compliance: Do you plan to roll out any additional functionality outside of safer gambling?

DL: Beyond our core focus of safer gambling, there are two further categories of features. First, we can provide more efficient compliance. Each operator currently performs their own ‘know your customer’, money laundering and affordability checks. This is wasteful, duplicated work which could be done once, centrally. There’s also the opportunity to remove friction from the player experience. A central, verified account enables single sign-on and one-click registration. We will explore these options with operators and players during our trials.

EGR Compliance:  What for you is the cornerstone of any successful strategy to combat problem gambling?

DL: Gambling must be safe for everyone. There is a stigma attached to ‘problem gambling’. And the idea of ‘responsible gambling’ implies that some individuals are irresponsible. This language can be accusatory. We’re glad that the Gambling Commission has adopted the term ‘safer gambling’.

GAMSTOP, the cross-operator self-exclusion service, has paved the way for industry-wide solutions. And the banking industry has contributed with transaction blocking. But these tools only help those driven to extreme, all-or-nothing measures. Our approach is to build products which are valuable to anyone who gambles, promoting safety from the outset.