IGRG on “bigger and better” Responsible Gambling Week 2019
EGR Intel chats to John Hagan, chair of the Industry Group for Responsible Gambling, about his objectives for this year’s RG Week and how it might trigger a national conversation on safer gambling
Responsible Gambling Week, now in its third year, is the biggest initiative by UK and Irish operators to espouse responsible and safer gambling amongst operators and consumers alike.
With the 2019 edition kicking off yesterday, EGR Intel chats to IGRG chair and chief voice behind Responsible Gambling Week, John Hagan, about the need for such dialogue and collaboration amongst the industry.
EGR Intel: What are your objectives for this year’s Responsible Gambling Week?
John Hagan (JH): The strapline for the week is ‘let’s talk about safer gambling’, and we want to trigger conversations between operators and their customers, between customers and other customers, and involve other stakeholders in the industry like the Gambling Commission and our partners such as GamCare and YGAM. For me, this week will be successful if those conversations happen.
EGR Intel: What’s different with this Responsible Gambling Week that you haven’t done in previous years?
JH: I think what’s really different about this year is its scale. It’s bigger and better and with a much higher degree of involvement on the part of operators. We’ve seen YGAM and GamCare providing tailored training courses for professionals working with young people, as well as Citizens Advice Bureau getting involved. We’ve seen the pubs getting involved with 1,300 Punch pubs promoting Responsible Gambling Week through their pub estate, recognition of the machines that are in those pubs and that they are part of the conversation. Add the racecourses and the football clubs and it’s just so much bigger and better and really gathering momentum.
EGR Intel: What has the support been like from the industry?
JH: The support from the industry has been amazing this year. I’ve talked about operators exceeding the minimum commitments agreed on behalf of the sector and what it really reflects are two things: a changing culture within gambling operations and their approach to safer gambling generally. Safer gambling is becoming much more integrated across all organisations and not just being confined to legal or compliance or PR departments.
EGR Intel: What is your opinion of the safer gambling commitments made by ten of the UK’s biggest gambling operators this week?
JH: In short, it’s a wonderful way to start Responsible Gambling Week and I think the launch of the Betting & Gaming Council (BGC) is terrific news for the industry. We’ve been calling for greater collaboration across the sector for many years now and to see that come to fruition with the BGC is just fantastic news. As they’ve launched, they’ve done so with a series of excellent and significant commitments being made by the largest gambling operators in this country, which set the tone, set expectations of the industry and provide leadership over the coming years. What I also particularly welcome is the substantial commitment to the provision of funding and I look forward to seeing the largest operators delivering on that commitment.
EGR Intel: How is the IGRG working to improve responsible gambling awareness all year round?
JH: That’s a very good question. I want to be very clear that the industry is promoting safer gambling all year round and not just this week. The year has seen lots of very important industry initiatives. We’ve seen GAMSTOP going live, the whistle-to-whistle ban, and operator commitments to substantially increase the amount of voluntary funding for treatment services. But Responsible Gambling Week is about the entire industry coming together to speak with one voice for maximum impact to raise awareness, which we hope will resonate with operators and customers through the year.