Latest News

Pilot project tackling problem gambling delivers impressive results

Published

7 years ago

January 11, 2018

Malcolm George-Association of British Bookmakers

Reading Time: 3 minutes

A pilot project with betting shop staff in Islington, north London, designed to improve their understanding of gambling-related harm and to raise awareness of support available to customers at risk, is delivering impressive results.

Virtually all members of staff who received training from the project team describe improvements in their ability to recognise what the report describes as “red flags in customer behaviour” and their understanding of gambling-related harm. Staff also report feeling more confident in assisting people with gambling problems.

The project, entitled Don’t Gamble With Health, delivered by BetKnowMore UK and sponsored by GambleAware, is innovative in its approach to harm-minimisation by working with high street betting shop staff. It involved 59 betting shops setting up a customer referral process. Training was provided to 112 shop staff and partner organisations, and 95 customers were referred to the service or approached it independently through information available in betting shops.

Feedback about the project and the service it offers has been overwhelmingly positive. It was funded by a dedicated grant from the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB) in addition to the regular funding provided to GambleAware by ABB members.

The project had a second distinct element in providing a support service to customers who are at risk or are problem gamblers. BetKnowMore UK’s report on the project, independently verified, showed that the majority of clients who engaged with the service improved their ability to successfully manage their gambling behaviour. Customers who completed their treatment for problem gambling made particularly impressive progress.

Barriers prevent people seeking help

The team reported that the main reasons preventing people who could benefit from coming forward for help were lack of awareness of support mechanisms, complexity of referral and slow response within some existing services. A common barrier which prevented people seeking help was the negativity and stigma associated with problem gambling. The project focused on addressing these obstacles.

The support service is delivered in tiers. Tiers one and two are described as brief interventions. Typically, they take the form of informal meetings in neutral places such as cafes, or involve phone engagement with people who call the project helpline, usually to share concerns about their own or a loved one’s gambling behaviour.

Tier three offers a more structured support through mentoring and group therapy, while tier four is dedicated to clients with complex and multiple needs and typically involves counselling support.

tackling problem gambling

To help deal with the stigma linked with problem gambling the project presented gambling as a lifestyle choice and health issue similar to, for example, drinking. It emphasised that when people are able to engage in these activities in appropriate, well-managed ways they do not lead to harm and are socially acceptable.

The positive approach is reinforced by the alternatives offered to problem-gambling activity. Consistent with modern theories on behaviour change, this means that in order to sustainably remove or minimise negative behaviour, people need a positive alternative. Within the context of the project this meant helping clients to fill up the time previously occupied by gambling with new activities such as participating in sport or making music.

Contributory negative factors assessed

The holistic nature of the approach is manifested in the team assessing what, alongside gambling, negatively affects their clients’ wellbeing and supports them in addressing that. Examples include loneliness, unemployment or accommodation problems.

Given the evidence about gambling-related harm affecting vulnerable members of society, consideration was given to the extent to which the service reached such customers.

For tier three-four clients for whom information was available:

Five out of 34 were in supported accommodation or at risk of becoming homeless. A similar number lived with friends, not having a home of their own.
Nine out of 26 were not in employment. Five were unemployed and four were in receipt of benefits due to long-term illness.
Sixteen out of 37 had mental health problems, typically anxiety, stress and depression. There were several clients with personality and bipolar disorders.
Ten out of 40 had a history of, or were recovering from, substance and/or alcohol abuse
Four out 37 had a history of breaking the law (linked to gambling or substance abuse).

Malcolm George, chief executive of the ABB, said: “The success of the BetKnowMore project is a huge credit to the hard work of everyone involved, from those providing the counselling service to the betting shop staff who received new intensive training. I’m very encouraged by these findings and, working with the BetKnowMore team, we will now look to upscale this service in 2018.“

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Expanse Studios (GMGI) Secures ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Certification

Published

10 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Peter Tolan

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Expanse Studios, the iGaming division of Golden Matrix Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: GMGI), proudly announces its recent certification to the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 standard, which demonstrates globally leading data security standards.

This globally recognized certification reinforces the Group’s dedication to safeguarding confidential information, client trust, and strengthening its competitive position in the iGaming industry.

The ISO/IEC 27001:2022 standard establishes a rigorous framework for managing and protecting information security across all operations. By attaining this certification, Expanse Studios has implemented a comprehensive Information Security Management System (ISMS) that ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data. This certification goes beyond compliance and assures our clients and partners of our stringent security protocols, protecting against cyber threats and unauthorized access.

“Achieving the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification marks a significant milestone in Expanse Studios’ journey. This certification not only reinforces our security framework but also highlights our commitment to upholding the highest standards of trust and integrity for our clients and players worldwide.”, said Damjan Stamenkovic, CEO of Expanse Studios.

In an industry where information security is paramount, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification demonstrates Expanse Studios’ proactive stance on cyber risk management and adherence to international best practices. The certification process included comprehensive evaluations, audits, and stringent checks, all contributing to a secure environment that benefits our clients, players, and business partners.

ISO certification assures the clients that Expanse Studios operates with top-tier security mechanisms, solidifying the role of the GMGI entity as one of the most trusted and compliant partners in the iGaming sector.

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Almedia Hires 17 New Staff Fuelling Exponential Growth

Published

11 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Peter Tolan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

– Powering the next generation of rewarded user acquisition –

Almedia, the data-driven platform engineering the future of mobile gaming user acquisition – today proudly announces a major hiring wave which includes over 17 people from leading global tech and gaming brands. The new hires are essential to Almedia’s ambitious strategy for achieving exponential growth across Europe and Northern America over the next 12 months.

The new team members will join an already established team, based in Berlin, with a current headcount of 80, supporting a global client base of mobile game developers and publishers. The expanded team joins established departments including product development, marketing, account management, fraud, and talent acquisition. The 17 new hires will drive Almedia’s core mission: elevating user acquisition to new heights and engineering the future of intelligent engagement.

Moritz Holländer, Chief Executive Officer and Founder at Almedia, commented: “Since 2020, we’ve been at the forefront of rewarded user acquisition, and our services and results are being embraced by the global mobile gaming industry, by companies such as Playtika, SuperPlay, Plarium, and Monopoly Go. Team Almedia is witnessing real-time exponential demand for its rewarded UA services, hence we have a robust scaleup roadmap in place to help us manage demand.”

He added: “What we’ve proudly achieved in four years is quite remarkable. With zero funding, a highly profitable organisation, we are humbled to be assembling a true dream team for the global mobile gaming industry. We are thrilled to welcome the latest waves of new hires to the team, which will help us to further establish our brand as the most credible, data-driven rewarded user acquisition company in the world.”

The new hires include

Andrey Shilin, Lead Product Manager
Holly Pickerell, Workplace and Culture Manager
Sabina Halilovic, Fraud Analyst
Alexander Rasch, Senior Finance Manager
Alisson Paschoal Hausmann, Senior Mobile Developer
Anthony Clement, SEO Manager
April Chen, Senior Customer Success Manager;
Benedikt Roth, Lead User Acquisition Google Ads Manager
Caroline Sobkow, Talent Acquisition Partner
Federica Stiscia, Senior Gaming Partnership Manager
Marc Hammes, SEO Manager
Mapa Vega, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner
Pablo Herranz, Senior Talent Acquisition Partne
Ravisankar Chinnam, Senior Frontend Developer
Kutay Akalin, Data Scientist
Aleksei Smagin, Junior Affiliate Specialist UA
Neil Laverty, Senior Customer Success Manager

Almedia currently has a range of positions open across operations, talent, product, marketing and more. To learn more about careers at Almedia, visit the jobs section on the website.

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Huge Jackpot at King Billy Casino: C$3,658,306!

Published

13 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Zoltan Tundik

This amazing six-digit number was the result of a player going on a safari in her (and millions of other players) beloved Mega Moolah progressive slot from Games Global

Reading Time: 2 minutes

King Billy Casino, launched in 2017, has had some impressive players wins during the “reign of King Billy”. A few of them include Live Game winnings of €135,223, daily winnings from 2 or more slots of $164,000, and €250,000 won on a single spin. However, the latest win by a King Billy Casino player dwarfs every big win that has come before this. Actually, it’s bigger than all previous big wins combined for the operator!

Because, we are talking about C$3,658,306.

This amazing six-digit number was the result of a player going on a safari in her (and millions of other players) beloved Mega Moolah progressive slot from Games Global. In an autumn, the player stepped into eternal summer by wagering a small C$6,25 bet and winning 562.816 times her bet! This is the power of Mega Moolah, as evidenced at King Billy.

King Billy people had only warm words for the occasion. A representative of the casino has stated: “We are elated, for this huge big win. We can never forget that our first big win, many years back, was more than 200,000 Canadian dollars, so we have special ties with the region. And it’s now amazing to see our VIP-player making such a cashback and echoing that big win! Congratulations to our player”.

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About Games Global

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About King Billy Casino

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