Responsible Gaming Foundation to Participate in European Safer Gambling Week 2024

The Responsible Gaming Foundation will participate in the European Safer Gambling Week (ESGW24), which will take place from November 18 to 24, 2024. The event is organized by the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) and aims to raise awareness about responsible gambling and player protection in the gaming sector.

Last year’s campaign brought together over 160 partners from 20 European countries and reached millions of people through social media and local events. This year, EGBA aims for even greater participation and impact, encouraging the organization of events, training, and discussions related to safer gambling.

The Responsible Gaming Foundation will once again take part in ESGW24, supporting initiatives that promote safer and more responsible practices within the gaming industry. The foundation remains committed to raising awareness and improving player protection in Bulgaria. By encouraging players to gamble within their limits and providing resources to those at risk, the foundation aims to reduce gambling-related harm and foster a safer, more sustainable gaming environment.

A Webinar with Dr. Maris Catania on Responsible Gaming brought together professionals from the gaming industry

 On November 7th, the Responsible Gaming Foundation hosted a successful webinar featuring Dr. Maris Catania, a leading expert in responsible gambling and Senior Safer Gambling Consultant at SG:certified. You can watch the recording on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/7AXg3LMPGjE

With over fourteen years of dedicated experience in safer gambling, Dr. Catania explored how to make Responsible Gambling (RG) a benefit rather than a burden for organizations. Her work at SG:certified focuses on designing and delivering cutting-edge training programs and regulatory solutions to empower gambling operators and regulators to meet their responsible gambling, compliance, and sustainability goals. The session saw participation from numerous industry specialists and provided invaluable insights into proactive RG strategies, fostering safer and more positive customer experiences while enhancing business outcomes.

Dr. Catania emphasized the importance of adopting a human-centered approach to RG. While operators may recognize signs of gambling problems, empowering customers to make informed choices is crucial. Instead of abruptly closing accounts, which can lead to hostility, contacting customers directly can help them self-exclude voluntarily. This method builds trust between the operator and the customer, illustrating how proactive RG strategies improve overall customer satisfaction.

Dr. Catania highlighted that detecting early signs of problem gambling fosters meaningful relationships with customers. By offering personalized advice and tools such as setting limits, blocking certain products, and opting out of promotions, operators can help customers manage their gambling habits effectively. This creates a stable relationship based on trust, allowing customers to feel more comfortable discussing their behaviors and seeking help when necessary.

The presentation also covered academic insights and research implementation in responsible gambling, discussing how understanding problematic play can inform better practices. Key topics included the impact of deposit limits on retention and the significance of voluntary self-exclusion as a proxy measure for problem gambling.

The webinar offered a clear vision of how responsible gambling can be integrated into business strategies, turning RG into a competitive advantage. SG:certified’s mission aligns with this vision, providing a centralised regulatory platform that supports gambling operators and regulators in their sustainability journey. With access to assessments, training, and benchmarks, SG:certified empowers organisations to achieve their responsible gambling, ESG, and CSR certification goals effectively. Dr. Catania’s extensive experience made this session a valuable learning experience for all professionals in the gambling sector. By adopting proactive measures, detecting issues early, and fostering trust-based relationships, attendees learned how responsible gambling can elevate the entire industry while benefiting both players and operators.

What are the gambling regulations in Eastern Europe: Insight by Rossi McKee

Rossi McKee discussed regional gambling regulations at SiGMA East Europe in Budapest during her participation in a panel discussion focused on responsible gaming practices. Mrs. McKee, a prominent advocate for responsible gaming and the Founder of the Responsible Gaming Foundation, shared her insights on the evolving regulatory landscape across Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

During the discussion, McKee provided an in-depth analysis of the recent regulatory changes, with a particular focus on Bulgaria’s new legislation, which imposes significant restrictions on gambling advertising. She emphasized that these changes are indicative of a broader trend towards stronger player protection measures across the region. “When implementing regulations especially concerning the safer gambling measures and player protection the specifics of the local market should be taken into account,” Rossi McKee noted.

Mrs. McKee went on to share insights into how these regulatory developments are shaping the future of the gaming industry in the region. She stressed the importance of operators proactively integrating responsible gaming practices into their business models, not only to comply with regulations but also to build long-term trust and loyalty among players.

In her discussion, McKee highlighted the ongoing work of the Responsible Gaming Foundation in Bulgaria. The Foundation has been instrumental in supporting operators through these regulatory transitions, offering resources and guidance on implementing responsible gaming measures. Initiatives such as the “On Focus: Responsible Gaming” campaign have been particularly impactful, helping operators align with new regulations while maintaining a focus on player protection.

The panel also explored how similar regulatory frameworks could be effectively adapted across different cultural contexts in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. The discussion underscored the importance of collaboration among regulators, operators, and industry stakeholders to ensure that responsible gaming becomes an integral part of the industry’s growth strategy.

How the Brain Tricks Us: Cognitive Addictions and Gambling

Gaming and gambling addiction are complex phenomena influenced by various psychological factors. Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, pioneers in the field of behavioral economics, have studied in detail how cognitive biases affect human decision-making. Their work provides important insight into why people may develop addictive behaviors in gaming and gambling. This article explores how specific biases, as identified by Nobel laureate scientists, contribute to people’s vulnerability to gambling addiction.

Understanding Cognitive Biases

Cognitive biases are systematic patterns of deviation from rationality in judgment that cause people to make illogical or suboptimal decisions. Kahneman and Tversky’s research highlights multiple tendencies, but some of those responsible for gambling addiction include the availability heuristic, the illusion of control, and loss aversion.

Availability Heuristic

The availability heuristic is a mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to mind when evaluating a topic, concept, method, or solution. In the context of gaming and gambling, players often remember recent wins more vividly than losses, which distorts their perception of the probability of winning. Wins are always more memorable and accessible in the player’s mind, leading to an overestimation of their frequency and an increased tendency to take excessive risks.

Illusion of Control

The illusion of control is the tendency for people to overestimate their ability to control events. In gambling, this occurs when players believe they can influence the outcome of games through skill or strategy. For example, dice players may roll the dice in a specific way to “control” the outcome, or slot machine players may believe they can influence results by timing their button presses. This false sense of control can encourage persistent risk-taking behavior as players believe they can ultimately reverse their luck through their actions, thus perpetuating the addiction.

Loss Aversion

Loss aversion refers to people’s tendency to prefer avoiding losses to acquiring equivalent gains. This bias is particularly strong in the context of gambling and gaming, where the pain of losing money or game assets is felt more acutely than the pleasure of winning. Gamblers often chase their losses by taking riskier bets to recoup them, a behavior known as “loss chasing.” This cycle of loss aversion can lead players deeper into addiction as they seek to mitigate their losses.

Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms one’s preconceptions. Gamers may selectively recall their wins and ignore their losses, reinforcing their belief that they are more successful than they really are. Such selective memory strengthens their commitment to continue playing, as they believe that their strategy or luck will eventually pay off. This unrealistic perception of game outcomes reinforces addiction.

Anchoring Effect

The anchoring effect is the tendency to rely heavily on the first information encountered (the “anchor”) when making decisions. In gambling, an initial win or first big payout can serve as an anchor, setting unrealistic expectations for future results. Players may continue to bet with the belief that such winnings will come at any time, even after subsequent losses.

Conclusion

Kahneman and Tversky’s work on cognitive biases sheds light on the psychological mechanisms that contribute to gambling addiction. Understanding these biases—such as the availability heuristic, illusion of control, loss aversion, confirmation bias, and the anchoring effect—can help develop more effective interventions and support systems for those struggling with addiction. By recognizing and addressing these phenomena, people can make more informed decisions and reduce the power of addictive behaviors.

EGBA announces the dates for this year’s European Safer Gambling Week

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has announced the dates for this year’s European Safer Gambling Week, which will take place from 18 to 24 November 2024.

European Safer Gambling Week is an annual awareness-raising event on safe gambling in Europe. Organised by the EGBA, the initiative serves as a platform to promote discussions on player protection between operators, regulators, organisations that support problem players and experts on the matter.

This year will be the fourth edition of the initiative, which will be accompanied by a social media campaign and a number of seminars. They will aim to raise awareness about safe gambling, and discuss the best practices and the latest scientific research.

“The initiative is an important part of EGBA’s commitment to raise awareness of safe gambling and promote a strong culture of player protection in Europe. This year, we aim to reach even more Europeans with safer gambling tips and messages and bring together a diverse range of stakeholders for a week full of meaningful discussions about the future of player protection,” said Maarten Hayer, Secretary General of EGBA.

More information about the initiative can be found here.

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