Compliance Updates

Special Interview: A Conversation with Tom Farrell, CMO of ClearStake

Published

4 months ago

August 10, 2023

Our UKGC consultation response: Failing to protect the vulnerable should not be the White Paper's legacy

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Affordability is currently the word on everyone’s lips. Operators continue to face a ‘sustainability conundrum’ – they must fulfil their regulatory obligations and commitments to player protection, while ensuring their business remains profitable. For many, affordability can spell disaster, with up to 90% of customers lost when asked to prove they have the money they are wanting to spend. However, using Open Banking to carry out these financial checks as quickly as possible may be the answer to boosting retention and retaining otherwise lost revenues.

The DCMS recently published a public consultation on the UK gambling White Paper, while the Gambling Commission launched its own on financial risk checks, bringing their importance of affordability to the top of the agenda – but operators must now strike the balance between minimising harm and maximising revenue. Affordability checks that take too long risk sending customers to competitors, or worse, the black market.

One of the key remedies to the high level of churn experienced in the past is making sure financial risk checks can be carried out quickly and with as little friction as possible, so that customers can complete them with as much ease as approving a payment while online shopping. Operators have to reach a decision quickly because the longer players wait, the more likely it is they will go elsewhere while they’re waiting.

Of course, there are some people who under no circumstances will share financial data with someone like a gambling operator. There’s also a group of people who won’t share data because they know they are gambling beyond their means. This is of course the system working as it should and that’s a good thing. But there’s a third group of people for whom it’s too much effort. They’re asked to provide bank statements, at which point they go to a competitor, as the hoops they have to jump through are not worth it.

For a customer using Open Bank technology, such as ClearStake, what used to involve downloading and printing bank statements and a wait while the operator reviews the data, now takes just 30 seconds and a few clicks. A decision is recommended to the operator immediately and theoretically, the whole process can take less than a minute. Players click a link, and they are taken to a super slick and simple process where they press a couple of buttons and the relevant financial data is shared securely. They are always in control of their data and they can revoke permission at any time.

Our software categorises every transaction and we can calculate whatever the operator wants to see. It could be disposable income, net gambling spend, total income, or current balance on the account. Our software can also evaluate the rate of change so operators can see accelerating gambling spend or consistently declining savings and work out if the player’s gambling activity is still within the safe bounds of their current financial position.

Without responsible gaming and Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) checks, gambling risks being over-regulated out of existence as the product will become unprofitable. To answer the sustainability conundrum many operators face, we need to find a middle ground. Sustainability means not letting people spend beyond their means. It means letting people have a bet if they can afford to, while not taking more money than they can spend.

Over the last two or three years, the Gambling Commission got strict on affordability checks. They asked operators how they know someone could afford to lose ‘x’ amount. The White Paper effectively agreed with the Gambling Commission and has clarified that if someone is losing £2,000 in the space of three months or £1,000 in one month, operators should be confident about the player’s financial situation. The headline was that affordability and EDD checks should be taking place.

This discussion around affordability is not only limited to the UK, and we are seeing lawmakers and regulators in several other countries considering measures in this area.

The industry therefore needs to be proactive as the problem will never go away if it keeps allowing people to bet money they don’t have. In the public mind, gambling will have the same fate as cigarettes which are currently being regulated out of existence.

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Compliance Updates

ClearStake awarded ISO 27001 certification cementing its position as a trusted financial risk check provider

Published

2 days ago

December 1, 2023

Zoltan Tundik

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Real-time risk profiling tool provider ClearStake has been awarded ISO 27001 certification, the globally recognised standard for data protection and system security, cementing its position as a trusted provider to the gambling industry.

To qualify for the ISO 27001, ClearStake was required to actively demonstrate the successful deployment and adherence to a robust Information Security Management System (ISMS), as part of a rigorous two-stage accreditation process with an independent auditor.

A key endorsement when expanding across global markets, the certification proves ClearStake’s team is fully compliant with international data protection and security standards, which were most recently updated by the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission in 2022.

Martin Burt, CEO at ClearStake, said: “At the heart of what we do at ClearStake is building a secure environment for operators to handle and process data. As such, we are delighted to receive the ISO 27001 certification, which reaffirms our position as a reliable and compliant technology provider.

“This is a vital step in our growth as a company and will give clients further assurance that we operate to the highest standards.”

Compliance Updates

Stakelogic Live Receives License to Enter the Greek Market

Published

2 days ago

December 1, 2023

Zoltan Tundik

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Stakelogic Live has received the green light from the Hellenic Gaming Commission to provide its industry-leading live casino content in the Greek market

Stakelogic Live, the in-demand provider of innovative live casino content, is set to launch in Greece after receiving approval from the Hellenic Gaming Commission.

As a result, Stakelogic Live will now be able to provide its exciting live casino content to any online casino that is licensed in the country. This will provide Greek players with the chance to sample Stakelogic Live’s plethora of live casino games.

Stakelogic Live streams its content live from state-of-the-art studios in Malta and the Netherlands and is already licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority. Its products range from standard live casino games such as American Blackjack, European Roulette and Auto Roulette to exciting game shows like Super Stake Blackjack, Super Stake Roulette 5000x and Speed Baccarat. All of these will be available at leading Greek Operators.

The provider is well-established in key markets across Europe, working with some of the industry’s leading operators. Players at Greek casinos will also get a chance to experience the newly launched Super Wheel™ bonus feature, an exciting money-wheel bonus that is a core feature on Stakelogic Slots.

Stephan van den Oetelaar, CEO at Stakelogic said: “Securing this license from the Hellenic Gaming Commission is a huge step forward for Stakelogic Live. Stakelogic has been active in the Greek market for a couple of years now, and Greek players have reacted well to our products.

Stakelogic Live offers premium, industry-leading live casino content, and we can’t wait for Greek players to be able to enjoy it for the first time.”

Compliance Updates

Salsa Technology Launches Salsa Safe, a Dedicated Platform for iGaming Regulators

Published

3 days ago

November 30, 2023

Alan Campbell

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Salsa Technology has added another product in its portfolio of solutions for the iGaming sector. This latest addition is a secure system designed to meet the demand of global regulators in the online gambling sector.

Salsa Safe provides regulatory bodies in the sector including Brazilian state lotteries with a comprehensive system. It integrates operator management data and enables effective and transparent monitoring of operations.

In addition to being an important ally of regulators, Salsa Safe provides operators with the tools they need to comply with all regulatory requirements, helping to prevent fraud, protect players and promote responsible gaming.

The platform was specially designed to enhance responsible gaming by monitoring suspicious bets, types of self-exclusions and data control. Salsa Safe automates management reports for financial teams including transaction volume per operator, tax calculation and application of compliance models. It is worth highlighting that the product is fully integrated with PIX, which is the most popular method of the Brazilian payment system.

Salsa Safe offers a unique approach to data management, combining data from multiple sources to provide regulators with a complete view of operations. The platform’s intuitive design and advanced reporting capabilities make it easy to monitor operations, detect fraudulent activity and comply with regulations.

“We are excited to introduce Salsa Safe,” the Chief Operating Officer for Salsa Technology, Andre Filipe Neves, said. “This comprehensive solution not only provides regulators with necessary tools for monitoring operator activities but also assists operators in meeting the stringent requirements imposed by regulators.”