Using Technology to Assist Player Control - An Example from Sweden. Discovery 2009, Niagara Falls, Canada Thomas Nilsson, Spelinstitutet,, Sweden

Transcription

1 Using Technology to Assist Player Control - An Example from Sweden Discovery 2009, Niagara Falls, Canada Thomas Nilsson, Spelinstitutet,, Sweden

2 Gambling in Sweden Turnover for the Swedish gambling market in 2008: 4,6489 billon USD Top three: 1) VLT:s (7 000 in bars, restaurants and bingo halls) 2) V75 (trotting. Live trotting on TV or via your computer two times every day 3) Triss (scratch card) We have 4 casinos There is approximately independent retailers in the country Svenska Spel ( wholly owned by the Swedish State) introduced internet poker March 2006

3 Problem Gambling in Sweden 2% the Swedes have an ongoing gambling problem (Rönnberg et al 1997/98) Games associated problems: VLT:s Poker online (The Helpline 2008)

4 Support for Problem Gamblers in Sweden A hand full of treatment centers National Helpline Self help groupself Shelp program online Some therapists and counselors' work with PG Out home treatment

5 For every complex problem there is an easy answer, and it is wrong. H.L Mencken

6 Definition of responsible gambling Ethical, regulatory requirement, expected by customers, or Responsible gaming is about giving people the choice to play well designed games in a secure and supportive environment

7 Principal 1 Focus on the normal gamblers PP gamblers Problem gamblers Normal gamblers Offer gaming - not treatment Incidence - not prevalence o Working on incidence means prevention o Working with prevalence means shutting down business The PG and PPG will benefit from that work

8 Principal 2 Voluntariness Help players make there own informed decisions o Guide them - don't rule them o Offer help o Keep promises Creates trust and reciprocity Strengthen motivation

9 Principal 3 Responsible gambling tools Proper age checks Risk of game announcements Restricted methods of payment Include and offer references to help Accreditation by external organisation No encouragement to regambling Realistic and restrictive play for fun Visible and accessible betting history Use local currency instead of credits

10 Principal 3 Responsible gambling tools (continued) Spend limits o Net spending o Changes up depends if it is for a day, week or month o Changes down immediately Time spend limits o Changes up depends if it is for day, week or month o Changes down immediately Self assessment Self exclusion o SOS button o Different choices If possible, live experts on line to help problem gamblers Play scan (monitoring)

11 Principal 4 Educated staff and partners Basic training for everyone Special training for; osupport teams odevelopers oboard members omarketing Don't forget to train retailers and advertising agency

12 Principal 5 The normal gamblers should be the standard The tools and policies implemented must be adapted and accepted by those who are green, but tools should be clever enough to help for those who are yellow and red The responsible gaming features must be visual and useful Marketing of responsible gaming is crucial

13 Principal 6 Don't put shame and guilt on the gamblers Communication is vital! Players who feel that shame or/and guilt is put on them stops communicate and will probably stop using the tools Hand out information in all kind of formats; text, pictures, movies, sound and combinations

14 Principal 7 Cooperate with the those affected Cooperate with those effected by problem gambling. It creates: o Relations o Information o Feedback They can offer: o Self help groups o Treatment o Counsellors

15 So what have been done? Let's have a look!

16 Tools for the player The weekly budget Self assessment

17 Poker tools Limits Self exclusion

18 More Poker Tools Poker School Navigator

19 An advanced CRM-solution designed to keep customers safe from negative aspects of gambling

20 Player s s card provides customer behaviour 350 loss Lotto

21 Responsible gaming research define risky behaviors Bingo Poker 350 loss Lotto 650 loss Lotto Time Chaser

22 Find risky behavior patterns for known problem gamblers?

23 Customers voluntarily participate. Free of charge ACTIVATE

24 Individual data is used to predict my future behavior 90% Accuracy

25 Players are encouraged to do the self test

26 Self test results are fed into the model 90% accuracy 91% accuracy

27 Prognosis with information and advice Traffic light Details

28 Working on tailor made models Bingo, IVT, new games

29 Support for the players (and staff) Hot line GamContact

30 Some fact's

31 Internet Svenska Spel About internet users About internet poker players About use PlayScan Obligatory weekly budget introduced September Result? 10 % decrease in income (Bingo live -18%). Poker player and limits': 36 % has a weekly limit under 56 USD 25 % has a weekly limit under 24 hours The average bet/week, poker excluded, is 36 USD

32 Poker - At risk and problem gamblers use of responsible gaming tools 1 (=all) Tool Opinion Very good/good Degree of efficiency Navigator 57 % (65 %) 52 % (57 %) uses wholly/partially Limits - time 61 % (63 %) 53 % (60 %) reasonable limits Limits - money 75 % (79 %) 64 % (67 %) resonable limits

33 Poker - At risk and problem gamblers use of responsible gaming tools 2 (=all) Tool Stopped from gambling Degree of efficiancy Limits 59 % (45 %) 50 % (63 %) not played internet poker 71 % (67 %) not changed limits Self exclusion 11 % (5,4 %) 70 % (76 %) not played internet poker

34 Poker - At risk and problem gamblers use of responsible gaming tools 3 (=all) Tool Use Poker school 22 % (22 %) Self assessment 24 % (16 %) Collective sit-out 6 % (6 %) (25 % of red and yellow on self test reduced their gambling)

35 Self exclusion - poker Limit 12 h 1 week 1 month 3 month 6 month 1 year Total Average January February March

36 Figurs and facts training Retailers: 6553 VLT: 3754 Casino Cosmopol: : >1441 Staff Svenska Spel: : > 800

37 Thanks!

38 Figures and facts Hotline calls to the nu Nearly is answered Problem games: 1.VLT 2.Poker on Internet 3.Other games on Internet 4.Trotting Self help program Started in October 2004 Two CBT therapist More then 820 problem gamblers in the program so far Most problematic games: Internet poker VLT Casino games on Internet

39 More facts - Self help program Quality of life index How many got well?

40 Basic facts Spelinstitutet Short facts Started 1999 (but an idea since 1989) Situated in Piteå,, but spread all over Sweden (Pite( Piteå, Klankliden, Umeå, Stockholm and Malmö) 19 on the pay role list What's our skills Psychologists CBT therapist Producers Webb designer Animators Programmers

41 Basic facts Spelinstitutet What do we do? National hotline Treatment online Education on problem gambling, live and online Research Responsible gaming activates, live and online Seminars and conferences Consulting And computer games Who do work for? The Swedish National Institute of Public Health Treatment centres Gaming operators Schools and University

42 Basic facts Spelinstitutet Why do we do it? Our interested is to prevent problem gambling and help those effected by problem gambling Does it work? Yes, we are convinced that we make a difference!

43 Prognosis with information and advice You seem to have your gambling habits under control. Enjoy your future gambling! Your behavior has changed in a negative way. You will not receive offers from Svenska Spel any more. It seems your gambling is no longer enjoyable. You should stop gambling completely.

44 Something about the past The struggle

45 Maine principals Responsible gambling 1. Focus on the normal gamblers 2. Build on voluntariness 3. Responsible gaming tools 4. Educated staff and retailers 5. Make sure that the normal gamblers accepts the responsible gambling program 6. Don't put shame or/and guilt on the gamblers 7. Involve those problem gamblers

46 The evaluation Random selection of Svenska Spel active poker players: All poker players: 8% problematic, 15 risky gambling habits Svenska Spel poker players: 3% problematic, 9% risky gambling habits Only other site: 11% problematic, 16% risky gambling habits