Why Is It Important to Identify Problem Gamblers Online?

Did you know that there are around 430,000 problem gamblers in the UK? That equates to around 0.8% of the entire population.

Of those 430,000 people, an NHS survey revealed that only 5% actually seek help, and a mere 1% receive treatment.

That leaves a huge void of potential problem gamblers that may be continuing with their habits without any outside intervention.

With Rdentify’s advanced customer risk analysis software, we’re confident in our ability to protect online players.

Problem Gamblers

Online gambling is something that is enjoyed by huge numbers of people throughout the UK, who log on and gamble in moderation. However, for some, gambling has the potential to turn into an addiction which could affect not only their own life, but the lives of their friends and family members too. It is estimated that 2 million people in the UK are believed to be at risk of experiencing problem gambling at some point.

Problem gamblers gamble to a degree that compromises, disrupts or damages their family, personal or recreational pursuits.
For operators, it is important to identify problem gamblers with increased accuracy and prevent them from gambling on your site, thus increasing compliance with Safer Gambling legislation and reducing fines and reputational damage.

How to Identify Problem Gamblers Online

There are several indicators and behaviours that suggest a person has developed a gambling problem:

1. They don’t stop when they should. Casual gamblers know when enough is enough and limit their spend and time accordingly. Someone with a problem won’t stick to such limits and will often spend time and money that they don’t have.
2. They gamble with money they can’t afford to lose. Sure, an important bill or a child’s birthday might be approaching, but for someone with a gambling problem, that comes second to the rush of chasing a win.
3. Betting goes beyond entertainment. While for most, gambling is seen as fun, for problem gamblers, it can be a dangerous way of escaping reality or personal problems.
4. Chasing losses. This is a hurtful cycle. Problem gamblers have a tendency to up their stakes after a loss in a bid to win them back, often resulting in a higher, more damaging loss.
5. The amounts increase. Similarly to the point above, the smaller stakes no longer provide the rush of adrenaline they once did, and larger sums of money that they cannot afford to lose are staked.
6. They go to extremes to find gambling money. While an empty bank account is a clear sign that it is time to stop gambling, for a problem gambler, that isn’t the case. Some will borrow from banks or friends, while it isn’t unheard of for someone with a deep addiction to turn to crime to fund their habit.
7. Gambling always comes first. Career aspirations, family time and social events can quickly fall down the pecking order to someone with a gambling problem.
8. Gambling negatively impacts their emotions. A compulsive gambler can see their emotions quickly switch from the high of a win to the remorse of another loss. They may also celebrate good news by going straight to their betting account.

In everyday life, the loved ones of a problem gambler may be able to identify these above indicators. However, the signs of problem gambling risk can be a blind spot for operators.

That is where Rdentify comes in.
Calculating a problem gambling risk score enables operators to better meet compliance regulations, and customer support teams to intervene earlier to prevent severe problem gambling events, and to decrease liability and reputational risks.

This important process helps operators:

1. Identify: detect early indicators of gambling risk and trigger alerts for review
2. Interact: intervene proactively to protect the users and
3. Evaluate: monitor and improve impact on preventing gambling harm and addiction

Safer Gambling Solution

We recognise that signs of problem gambling are often subtle. Indicators can be sporadic, spread across multiple chats and agents, and in the fast-paced worlds of customer support and retention, common cues can easily be missed.

This results in vulnerable players going unnoticed, leading to severe consequences for both the customer and the operator.

Our technology integrates seamlessly with your system, making it easy for your agents to use. Using our product will enhance your processes, lower your operational risk, and demonstrate to the regulators that you take the protection of your customers seriously. Additionally, no personal data is ever stored on our servers, leaving you in full control.

Rdentify is a safer gambling solution which enables socially responsible operators to identify early indicators of gambling risk and intervene proactively to protect the users and prevent gambling addiction. Our solution complements transactional indicators, with advanced analysis and insights from emails and chat messages which may reveal signs that a player is at risk, before his overall spend exceeds any safety thresholds.

Identifying problem gamblers with cutting edge technology that directly integrates with live chat and CRM systems, is the key for safer gambling.

Rdentify has the technical capabilities to integrate with a wide range of live chat providers, including:

• LivePerson
• Zendesk
• LiveChat
• HubSpot
• Olark
• Bold360
• Intercom
• Pure Chat

Living in today’s modern world, there are hundreds of examples of how technology is used to enhance our lives, and the online gambling world is no different.

Our recent blog discusses how operators are using artificial intelligence to prevent problem gambling as well as the benefits of AI in the industry.

Rdentify provides a unique solution tailor-made for online gambling operators. Our technology allows us to tell you in real time if there is a problem with an online gambler so that you can act accordingly.

If you are keen to find out more and would like to chat to our experts, please do get in touch.

You can also book your FREE demo today.