Industry News
Betting firms are turning to AI to help the gaming machine addicts “cool off”
UK has been one of the countries that has been trying to promote responsible gambling. Recently an inquiry conducted by a group of politicians from different parties was revealed to the public. The inquiry shed light on a lot of practices in the gambling industry that could use some improvements. They also proposed their own suggestions for promoting responsible gambling. Amidst the publication of this inquire the news about gaming machines that will use AI came out.
The purpose of installing AI in their machines is that it allows for the machines to spot addictive behavior using a number of metrics. If the machine identifies the player’s behavior as addictive the machine will not let the player continue to give them some time to cool off before they continue to work. This new initiative will not depend on AI only, although it is a starting point.
Attention towards the gaming industry is also caused by online casino games and different gaming venues gaining popularity at a fast rate, bringing about the need to think outside the box when it comes to regulations.
The Anonymous Player Awareness System (APAS) will track the players during the whole game, looking for evidence of them chasing loses or displaying some other qualities of addictive gambling like speeding up or spending too long on the machine. If such behavior is detected the managers of the casino will get notified about such behavior so they can be extra attentive to that person.
The new technology was created by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) to try and combat the rising levels of problem gamblers that can be found basically at any age group but are prominent in the younger generations. This is also in the spirit of the recent inquiry and the call for tougher legislation around real-life and online casinos.
Wes Himes, BCG Interim chief executive said that he sees this as an opportunity to champion the highest standards and share best practices on safe betting and gaming, with the hopes that these measures will be seen as a sign of intent. With this initiative, BGC hopes to restore public trust, at least partially and the group is looking forward to further betting and gaming initiatives across the industry.
AI works based on the algorithm. If the algorithm determines some addictive behavior it will automatically lock you out of for “cooling off period” of at least 30 seconds. This is when the managers come into play to make sure the cool off period goes by as smoothly as possible. According to the initiative when the person is being locked out of the same safer gambling warning will be immediately displayed on the machine’s screen.
This new addition will firstly be introduced only in Britain, specifically in 8500 betting shops that include William Hill, Ladbrokes and Paddy Power. But it’s obvious that this new initiative has great potential and if it manages to bring positive results it won’t be too long before all the gaming machines across Britain and the world will be applying this technology to their gaming machines.
The 30 second cooling period will be specifically for addictive behavior but the firms are also looking to improve the experience of those who may not be addicted but are starting to enter a more risky zone. 20 second cooling-off periods will be introduced for those who have been playing at the same machine for more than 20 minutes. This separate mandatory automatic alert will also alert the staff. Even though the responsibility is not just on the AI and the staff will have its own part to play, even if this initiative was based solely on the technology, the founders believe that it would still have an impact and it would also help the staff who actually work at these venues, who are often over-stretched and poorly paid. Also worth mentioning is just how much violence these people have to deal with on an everyday basis. The cooling-off period may even help with the overall amount of violent outbursts in casinos and make the lives of everyone involved a lot easier. The algorithm will detect those who are at risk of harm, by using multiple factors like erratic play, chasing losses, speed of play and the time spent on the machine, therefore the alert and “cooling off” period will be triggered at almost any time during play. It will be specific to the individual playing the machine.
Industry News
SKS365 keeps investing in people: GROW People Management Program took the next level
11 experienced people managers from the SKS365 group’s 4 locations gathered last week in Belgrade for the new GROW People Management Program. From 15 th to 19 th of April, through trainings, discussions, and social connections, people had the opportunity to further grow individually and as a team, while enjoying Belgrade’s city center and rivers.
Created in 2023 with the purpose of building foundation people management skills across the organization, GROW initiative evolved this year by including a new, advanced program for experienced people managers to further consolidate their skills and prepare for future opportunities.
Building and fostering connections, sharing experiences, and enjoying team building experiences – all these activities have been part of the GROWpmp agenda for the 11 people managers coming from Commercial, Product and Development, Finance, and Sportsbook departments of the group’s 4 locations – Malta, Italy, Austria, Serbia.
GROWpmp included a variety of topics that people managers in SKS365 recognized as the key areas for management development. Topics such as influence through communication, team effectiveness, DEI, through to presentation skills and business topics like understanding finance and management reporting, were delivered with the support of external professionals and internal experts, while designed and organized by the SKS365 People & Culture team.
Industry News
Kindred’s Share of Revenue from High-risk Players Shows Slight Increase
Kindred Group plc’s (Kindred) share of revenue from high-risk players showed a slight increase to 3.2% (Q4 2023 3.1%) in the first quarter of 2024. Compared to the first quarter of 2023, the high-risk revenue share decreased marginally. The percentage of detected customers who exhibited improved behaviour after interventions came in at 87.1% (compared to 87.4% in Q4 2023 and 83.0% in Q1 2023). This sustained trajectory in the improvement effect after interventions, observed over an extended period, serves as a testament to the strong dedication and collective efforts throughout the company. It reflects Kindred’s ongoing commitment to fostering positive change within the industry.
“We continue to see our share of revenue from high-risk players fluctuate quarter to quarter, and we are working closely with all teams across the company to support customers towards a more sustainable gambling experience. However, it is encouraging to see that our Journey towards Zero data has steadily decreased since 2020. A similar trend can be seen across the healthier gambling behaviour effect after interventions. This tells us two things: our work is paying off, but we need to continue to push ourselves to propel a sustainable progression,” Alexander Westrell, Director of Communications at Kindred Group, said.
“It was very encouraging to witness the open and transparent discussions at the Sustainable Gambling Conference in London on 20 March, where those with lived experience shared their important stories. Also, it is evident that technology is moving forward, and will provide greater opportunities to detect and intervene in the future. We hope to see more regulators engage with the industry and with experts to secure a more sustainable industry for everyone,” Alexander Westrell added.
Industry News
PENN Entertainment Names Aaron LaBerge as Chief Technology Officer
PENN Entertainment announced that Aaron LaBerge has been named Chief Technology Officer (CTO) effective July 1, 2024, subject to customary regulatory approvals. Mr. LaBerge will report directly to PENN CEO & President Jay Snowden.
In his new role, Mr. LaBerge will be responsible for driving the technology strategy and execution for PENN, while leading the multinational team of technologists and serving as the key business leader for the company’s Interactive division.
Mr. LaBerge spent more than 20 years at The Walt Disney Company, in two stints separated by five and a half years as a technology entrepreneur. He was most recently President & Chief Technology Officer for Disney Entertainment and ESPN where he was responsible for driving all technology and product development in support of The Walt Disney Company’s two media divisions. In that role, he helped set the vision and strategic leadership for how Disney uses technology to enable storytelling and innovation, drive its business, and create unparalleled consumer experiences with entertainment and sports content.
“We are thrilled to have someone of Aaron’s caliber join our PENN executive team. Having overseen a global organization of thousands of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, and data scientists that created some of the largest scale and most successful media properties in the world, there is no better candidate to lead our Technology and Interactive division into its future. I know Aaron is looking forward to working with Todd George, our head of operations, and our entire Executive Team to continue growing our position as a leader in online gaming, sports betting, and digital sports media,” Mr. Snowden said.
“I’m excited to join another talented team at PENN Interactive and lead our technology strategy. PENN Entertainment is at the forefront of the fast-changing gaming and sports media industry. I plan to use my experience from Disney and ESPN to help make ESPN BET an essential piece of the sports fan experience. Together, we’ll push the limits and redefine how fans interact with sports and gaming,” Mr. LaBerge said.
Prior to his most recent role at the Walt Disney Company, Mr. LaBerge was Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at ESPN from 2015 to 2018. At ESPN he played an instrumental role in the growth of ESPN’s consumer-facing digital media products and services – leading many of ESPN’s most ambitious and challenging projects and helping establish ESPN’s position as the leader in digital sports and innovative sports technology development. He was a key architect in the design, development, and engineering of ESPN’s state-of-the-art facilities in Bristol, CT; Los Angeles, CA; Charlotte, NC; and Austin, TX, as well as data centers and infrastructure that connect those facilities around the world, as well as the technology design and development to support the launch of the multi-platform SEC Network.
Between 2007 and 2012, LaBerge was co-founder and CEO of Fanzter, Inc. – a venture-funded consumer software and digital product development company. At Fanzter, he directed all day-to-day operations and led the development and launch of a variety of consumer-focused internet and mobile products, ground-breaking social and commerce technologies and more.
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