Problem gambling continues to a be a major issue in the online and land-based gaming markets. More and more operators are working hard to reduce problem gambling rates, and bwin.party continues to see success using its prevention program that has been developed in conjunction with Harvard University.
Bwin.party has spent years working with Division on Addiction (DOA) and a Harvard Medical School affiliate named Cambridge Health Alliance on the Real Prevention program. Together, they started analysis the behaviour of players in the real-money online gambling market to develop effective systems of identifying and treating problem gamblers.
According to Reuters, the tool gathers data on players’ win-loss responses, total spending and gambling frequency in order to determine whether or not a player is at-risk. When a player is found to be at risk, the casino operator will intervene in their gaming. For example, it may display warning messages for low-risk players and some player may be given contact information of staff members who can discuss their potential addiction.
More serious problem gamblers may have their play restricted or their accounts closed. Bwin.party has been running a trial of this software on its site since September, and over 3000 players have receive warning based on their gaming behaviour thus far. If the trial is proved to be successful in driving in problem gambling rates, then it will rolled out completely across the site in 2015.
"bwin.party has taken the industry’s leading position for Responsible Gaming,” says Howard J. Shaffer, Director of the DOA. “The commitment to the scientific process and unwillingness to take shortcuts to achieve short-term gains is noteworthy and indicative of its commitment to the health and welfare of its subscribers." It is great to see casino operators taking an active role in helping to reduce problem gambling rates.
We are hopeful that bwin.party’s prevention program trial will be very successful.
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