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Lee Willows: ‘We should be humbled that addiction levels are coming down: do we really think that big state programmes, funded by a statutory levy and controlled by the NHS could do any better?’
Lee Willows, the long-standing lived-experience leader who came into the gambling space following an addiction that almost drove him to suicide, has warned that the UK risks losing its status as a world-class leader in Social Responsibility. Commenting after the Westminster Media Forum – Next steps for UK gambling regulation and Labour Party MP Carolyn Harris’s Westminster Hall debate on the statutory gambling levy, Willows said: “I firmly believe the UK is a global leader in Social Responsibility, but I worry that flame might be dimming as the funding debate becomes more about a desire to break-up the very eco-system that supported me and today supports many others. It is this Third Sector-led eco-system that to my mind, makes us world-class.”
Addressing the nature of the debate he questioned: “Why have we allowed it to come down to narrow choices between the NHS or the Third Sector to deliver a national programme of treatment – why can’t both co-exist? I have often said we need a choir of voices and organisations in this space. Why is it so difficult for start-up organisations – often led by individuals with Lived Experience – to access funding? Why is the funding debate consistently tarnished by some who feel there is a lack of independence as opposed to recognising the impact of that funding, which in my experience is completely independent. Finally, why are we not humbled that addiction levels are coming down and education and awareness is now at an all-time high, being led by superb charities in a considered, well-thought and evidenced manner?
“These divisions and the potential introduction of a statutory levy carry significant risks to my mind and in many ways undermines a lot of the good work that’s been undertaken. We have built an eco-system to deliver treatment, support and prevention that has impressive reach across the United Kingdom. This didn’t happen overnight, it took time, and a huge collective effort on behalf of many very decent people. A statutory levy risks being seen by operators as another tax and as a result dilute their level of involvement in reducing harms.
“Whilst there is much more to be achieved, we should be humbled by this progress. Do we really think that big state (NHS only) programmes, funded by a statutory levy can do any better? Will big state programmes enable agility and innovation? Will big state programmes deliver better value for money? Will big state programmes really provide the funding for very local services or take a risk on start-up organisations or ideas, particularly from those with Lived-Experience, often starting out as sole-traders? Will big state, one size fits all programmes, be able to deal with the complexities around gambling addictions?
“Several years ago, I led the work of a national reducing re-offending charity at the time when the Probation Services were being privatised. A slightly different scenario, but a similar outcome in that the PLC companies and the state won many of the contracts, forcing many charities to close. Wind the clock forward and re-offending rates today remain broadly where they were prior to privatisation. The tragedy is that re-offending rates were beginning to drop, prior to privatisation. Beneficiaries of services often would say that they had a personal connection with the staff member supporting them from charities, whereas they were more like a number when being supported by the larger companies. It has also been proven consistently that charity-run services almost always deliver better value for money.”
“It will not surprise you that I do not support a statutory levy. There is much comfort to take from the current eco-system and the many charities and non-profit organisations working hard in this space and it would be a big mistake to risk this. Additionally, I believe our prime commissioner of services in this space might want to ask themselves what they can do better to support start-up organisations and foster agility, spending their income in a timely manner, with a percentage aimed at small start-up organisations. I also believe they might consider their ballooning establishment chart, which for many seems excessive.”
Looking to the short/medium-term Lee Willows has identified an action plan in order to facilitate innovation, encourage agility and maintain the UK’s world-class status. He explained: “Firstly the new strategy to reduce gambling-harms should be fully costed (so we actually know how much funding we need as opposed to a blanket 1%); secondly some mandated guidance should be given to operators when making donations, based on percentages for treatment, prevention and research; finally larger businesses should in my opinion, be mandated to commit 50 percent of their LCCP RET donations to fund three-year funding commitments in order to ensure sustainability. Operators need certainty, so they can budget donations; charities and non-profit organisations need certainly so they can plan services”.
“The notion of a Gambling Commission held RET list is something I continue to support, but I would also question if it is appropriate that the Gambling Commission administer Regulatory Settlements. Perhaps having another body or organisation to oversee these would bring about some of the reflections I am proposing, particularly where prevention is concerned. This would enable the Commission to focus on its regulatory responsibilities.”
Sports Information Services (SIS), the leading multi-content supplier of 24/7 live betting services, and Premier Greyhound Racing (PGR), the media rights company supplier of greyhound racing to the betting industry and direct to viewers, have collaborated to offer a revised race time schedule starting from 20 May.
Designed to protect the long-term future of UK greyhound racing, the new schedule will see morning fixtures start slightly later – moving from 10.47 to 11.01 and 10.54 to 11.09. Additionally, there will also be a slightly later start time for some evening fixtures aimed at a retail audience, with the first evening fixture now starting at 18.08.
Commenting on the improved schedule, Terry Mahoney, Head of Business Development at ARC, said: “The new race times will help make it easier for customers to navigate busy racing schedules as well as improving operations trackside. We will continue to listen, monitor, and adapt schedules where and when needed as we move forward to deliver the best service possible for betting operators as well as punters.”
Paul Witten, Managing Director at SIS, added: “We are passionate about delivering a greyhound racing service that benefits all of the sport’s stakeholders. Together with Premier Greyhound Raxing, we have introduced a revised racing schedule that benefits operators and their customers.
“Our approach to greyhound racing is grounded in sustainability and flexibility. This collaboration with fellow service providers allows everyone to enjoy all the high-quality action produced on a daily basis from tracks across the UK and Ireland.”
SIS has long-term agreements in place with bet365, William Hill, Paddy Power and Betfred to deliver its greyhound content across UK and Irish retail and digital channels. SIS also promotes this content across dozens of leading international operators, as well as through SISRacing.tv.
PGR offers greyhound action, cards, video replays, results, news and info on greyhounds.attheraces.com, and regular live broadcasts on Sky Sports Racing. Premier Greyhound Racing is a joint venture between Arena Racing (ARC) and Entain, the global sports betting, gaming and interactive entertainment group. Between them, the two companies own nine of the 20 licensed British greyhound tracks and ARC manage the media rights for five independent tracks.
The post SIS and Premier Greyhound Racing reveal improved greyhound race time schedule appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
By Lorenzo Nardini, Head of Technical Compliance and Maths Services
In the dynamic world of online gaming, data plays a pivotal role. Databases containing personal and financial information, often referred to as “Safe” databases, serve as the backbone of any gaming platform.
In this short article, I focus on control databases (CDBs) – that is how Safe databases are referred to in the Dutch landscape – and why it is important to ensure their completeness, accuracy, and consistency through continuous data quality review. In any case, the topics here covered apply to most regulated markets.
Control databases contain critical information related to player accounts, financial transactions, game rules, and security protocols. Essentially, they ensure the smooth functioning of the entire gaming ecosystem. It is no wonder that the Dutch regulator (KSA) enforces specific technical regulations on them and often perform audits on these systems that can result also in fines in cases errors are detected.
Data quality review checks
Data quality review checks play a pivotal role in maintaining the integrity of control databases, ensuring continuous compliance. Here are some key reasons why they are essential:
- Accuracy and Consistency: Control databases handle vast amounts of data, including player profiles, game logs, and financial records. Ensuring accurate and consistent data is crucial for fair gameplay, financial transparency, and regulatory compliance.
- Player Experience: Imagine a player losing progress due to a database glitch or loss of connectivity. Such incidents can lead to frustration and loss of trust. Data quality checks ensure that the control database is correctly functional, and the information therein contained can be used to handle such incomplete games, enhancing the overall player experience.
- Regulatory Compliance: Gaming companies must adhere to strict regulations regarding data privacy, security, and fairness. Regular reviews ensure compliance with industry standards and legal requirements.
Most importantly, regular reviews can help gaming companies reducing the risk of an unsuccessful audit that could typically lead to a fine and negative PR.
Ideally, data quality reviews should be ongoing. Real-time monitoring is crucial for identifying issues promptly. Additionally, scheduled audits—monthly or quarterly—help catch any long-term discrepancies or trends.
Key areas of data quality reviews
When performing checks on the quality of CDBs, the following are the main areas to consider:
- Data Completeness: Ensure that all necessary fields are populated correctly. Missing or incomplete data can lead to errors downstream.
- Data Accuracy: Cross-check data against reliable sources. For example, player balances should match financial records.
- Data Consistency: Verify consistency across different databases and systems. Inconsistencies can cause confusion and operational inefficiencies.
Starting from the specific Dutch case and then expanding to other markets, here at ComplianceOne Group we have developed a data quality review service using our experience in dealing with this form of analysis. Leveraging feedback obtained directly from regulators, we created a testing procedure that performs the following:
- Tests on triggering reports from staging environment. We access the client’s staging environment with test accounts and perform actions that are aimed at triggering specific reports in the control database. We then check that these have been correctly generated and that they contain all necessary information, checking their accuracy against the back-office.
- Data quality tests on production environment. We download a large number of reports directly from production and run a battery of tests that we have designed and that is tailored specifically at checking completeness and consistency of the information contained in the control database.
All findings are promptly reported to the client and, if needed, we can assist with solving any issues found.
Conclusion
When I started being exposed to control databases, I understood that for many this is a very technical area and that maintaining this environment functioning correctly can be quite cumbersome. Nevertheless, a commitment to data quality is a necessary for ensuring continuous compliance of gaming platforms. If you are interested in running regular data quality reviews, or even just a one-time overall check, contact me and I will be happy to assist!
The post The Importance of Data Quality Review Checks in the Gaming Industry appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
7777 gaming, a leading provider of digital gaming solutions, has announced a significant strategic partnership with Scientific Games a global leader in retail and digital lottery games, technology, analytics and services, to deliver digital lottery games through the SG Content Hub Partner Program.
The SG Content Hub Partner Program is a unique platform and game content partnership program featuring an expanding, highly curated selection of iLottery games from best-in-class, game studios worldwide in a variety of play styles appealing to all player types in multiple languages, as well as access to select licensed properties from the largest licensed brands portfolio in the lottery industry. Scientific Games currently serves 150 lotteries in 50 countries.
Elena Shaterova, Chief Commercial Officer at 7777 gaming, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership: “Partnering with Scientific Games represents a significant milestone for 7777 gaming, solidifying our position as a global leader in digital lottery solutions. Through this collaboration, we are poised to deliver unparalleled gaming experiences to players worldwide, driving innovation and growth in the lottery industry.”
Steve Hickson, VP of Digital Games at Scientific Games commented: “We are delighted to welcome yet another top-class lottery game studio to the SG Content Hub Partner Program. The addition of 7777 gaming and their fantastic games aligns perfectly with our goal to make a variety of digital lottery content available to existing and new Scientific Games customers. Our SG Content Hub Partner Program is developing at pace as we continue to provide our customers with frictionless access to the very best content in the industry.”
The SG Content Hub Partner Program offers a one-stop solution for accessing multiple iLottery game studios, seamlessly integrating with a lottery’s existing gaming systems and iLottery technology. It streamlines operations, simplifies tech integrations, and enhances data analytics to drive game development and iLottery portfolio management.
7777 gaming is renowned for its ability to deliver high-quality iLottery games tailored to the unique requirements of different lotteries. The company ensures that its game content meets stringent government regulations and operators’ expectations for customization. With custom-made lottery concepts, 7777 gaming guarantees enhanced player satisfaction and fosters a deeper sense of connection and loyalty to the brand.
The post 7777 gaming signs a strategic iLottery content deal with Scientific Games appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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