Safer Online Gambling Group Archives - CasinoBeats

Sector ‘should look to technology’ to unlock safer gambling efforts

Stewart Darkin — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:10:00 +0000

Adam Bradford, CEO of the Safer Online Gambling Group, discusses the increasingly important role of technology in bolstering the industry’s efforts to promote safer play.

Behind the 140 characters of noise fizzing around the Gambling Act review, Gambling Commission advisories and the safer gambling debate, teams of people are still dedicated to preventing gambling-related harm.

Those foot soldiers are the hard working folk in the gambling addiction support sector, a group of us that works steadfastly to innovate and provide effective solutions that can support gamblers and the industry to promote safer play.

We all know that gambling is a long-enjoyed form of entertainment and nobody across the political spectrum is calling for it to be banned or driven underground. There are however tactical actions the industry can take to continuously improve standards and make gambling safer for everyone.

The coronavirus pandemic has made every organisation think deeper, work harder and scrutinise its delivery. Education programmes have gone digital, customer service is led by advisors sat in their kitchens or in their home offices, and gambling still continues, more so online than before.

We’ve seen the big gambling firms report an increase in online revenues over the period of the pandemic; hence we are living in an increasingly digitised world where consumers now expect key services in the palm of their hands at a moment’s notice.

This made me and my team at the Safer Online Gambling Group think deeper – why can this not be the case for gambling support? Certain forms of virtual advice and guidance are beginning to take place digitally, in part forcibly so due to the impact of the pandemic. We have been pondering over a few key questions – how can this model become more integrated? How can it become more accessible to those who really need it, and how can we normalise safer gambling and not being afraid to reach out for help when it is required?

We have been blessed to work with some of the industry’s key names and experts in this field and have been busy creating digital tools that aim to provide rich support to gamblers at any point in their journey. We are passionate about ensuring a problem is prevented before it escalates – this approach is heavily embedded in our family’s own very personal experience and that of so many others we have spoken to and worked with.

One asset that most operators across the UK have always-on access to is technology – it never goes away, you don’t need to get in a taxi or on a train to get to it, and its ability to connect customers with resources and tools is instantaneous. As more organisations in our sector begin to roll out digital toolkits and virtual delivery of their services to support at-risk gamblers and to educate the public, we know that operators can lead the way in preventing gambling harms through their already existing portfolios.

That is why, instead of waiting for policy to catch up, we are imploring operators and the sector to look inwardly to what they already have and how they can adapt and mould this to provide greater support, quickly and richly to their consumers with an injection of support from those with lived experience and a vision to make sure that support and guidance is available to anyone gambling at key points in the customer journey.

It is a targeted way of providing key safety and support across the spectrum of consumers in an evidence-based, non-invasive way.

The review of the Gambling Act will no doubt be a rocky ride for everyone involved in this sector, but we firmly take the view that every challenge poses an opportunity for something better to come and to add our two-penneth to the debate, every review should be seen as a platform to show that more can be done in a proactive and supportive way to support those we are all so focused on prioritising.

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888, SOGG, Flutter & XLMedia: on the move

James Ross — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 13:45:00 +0000

With comings and goings commonplace across the industry, SOGG, 888, Flutter and XLMedia, have moved to bolster their teams with key hires.

SOGG

The Safer Online Gambling Group has announced the retirement of its CEO and Co-Founder, David Bradford, from the firm’s board.

Said to be in line with recent growth, the firm has also installed Steve Watson, a qualified counsellor, community entrepreneur and content specialist, to the board in an aim to drive forward the group’s digital and person-led approach to treatment and awareness rising.

Additionally a compliance specialist will be joining the board to take care of regulatory and oversight functions specifically.

Bradford said: ‘I would like to thank my father David for his invaluable contributions to the board for the past three years in what has been both a challenging and exciting journey of growth for the group.

“We are pleased that his lived experiences have inspired a strong and sustainable organisation which is now expanding into further sectors to raise awareness of gambling related harm and providing training and expertise to safeguard others for the future.

“I am excited to bring on board our new leadership team to support us in our new digital-first approach and in increasing our outreach to reach communities across the UK and beyond.’

888

Randy Freer has resigned from the board of directors at 888 Holdings with immediate effect. On his departure, Lord Mendelsohn, Non-Executive Chairman of the firm, expressed his thanks.

He said: “On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Randy for his contributions during his short time with 888, and wish him well for the future.

“With the highly relevant skills and experience of our recently strengthened, we continue to see exciting opportunities ahead as we deliver the group’s growth strategy and generate further stakeholder value.”

XLMedia

Karen Tyrrell has been named the Chief People and Operations Officer at XLMedia effectively immediately.

Holding a 15-year tenure in the industry, most recently Flutter UK&I as the Chief People Officer, Tyrrell also held senior roles in finance and operations, including Managing Director of People & Culture at Sky Betting & Gaming, Director of Transformation SBG and Deputy Finance Director SBG.

Tyrrell commented: “I am delighted to join the team and look forward to working with everyone at XLMedia.

“In my career, I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to guide businesses during times of immense growth and industry evolution and I look forward to bringing that experience to the group.”

Flutter

Andrew Higginson has signalled his intention to step down from his role as Flutter’s Non-Executive, having served three years in the position.

Following this announcement, Higginson will continue as a Non-Executive Director and Senior Independent Director of the company until December 31, 2022.

Effective from September 1, 2022, Alfred F. Hurley, Jr will assume the role of Chair of the Remuneration Committee and Holly Keller Koeppel will assume the role of Senior Independent Director from January 1, 2023.

Moreover, Carolan Lennon has been appointed as a member of the Nomination Committee.

“I wish to take this opportunity to thank Andy for his exceptional contribution to the board,” explained Gary McGann, Chair of Flutter. “Since joining the board in 2019, Andy has provided Flutter with the benefit of his extensive business leadership experience which the company will continue to benefit from until the end of the year.”

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Crucial Compliance “setting out to change the industry” after BetProtect purchase

Craig Davies — Wed, 04 Aug 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Crucial Compliance has acquired the BetProtect brand and its products from the Safer Online Gambling Group, amid calls that the industry has an “appetite to do more” to support players.

The firm says that the purchase of the gambling protection app lays the platform for its reach to grow substantially, with a number of providers, “including household names from the UK and overseas,” exploring the process of integration.

“BetProtect’s new home is the perfect place for its features and content to be rolled out across the industry, thanks to the direction and expertise provided by Crucial Compliance’s compliance expertise and technological ability,” explained Adam Bradford, BetProtect co-founder.

“The model in place is not commercial; it’s built around reinvestment, which means that finance generated is put back into the development of the app, both in terms of improving its effectiveness through analytical analysis and putting it in front of more and more people.

“To me as a co-founder, and the son of a former gambling addict who’s experienced first-hand the pain of seeing a loved one so badly affected, this is a truly exciting milestone in our journey – seven years on from dad being jailed.

“We draw an enormous sense of pride from the fact that our family’s experiences will be able to make a long-lasting difference to help players with a problem, and we hope that our contributions to the public policy debate have inspired others with hope that gambling addiction can be overcome.

“A better life is possible after addiction and we believe there is a tidal wave of change on the horizon that will create a safer gambling experience for everyone.”

BetProtect is a player awareness space that offers tools and professional advice to help players better understand and manage their relationship with gambling. It can be seamlessly integrated as part of a player’s gaming experience on both mobile and desktop, and has been developed in conjunction with leading therapists and counsellors.

The app was launched in June by father and son David and Adam Bradford, following several years of campaigning for change in the industry, including lobbying for more support for addicts, pushing for gambling addiction to be recognised as a mental health problem and advising gambling companies on safer gambling projects.

David will play a central role in the app’s future development following its acquisition by Crucial Compliance, in a newly created position on the firm’s advisory board as a safer gambling advisor.

“Equipped with the app, and the knowledge and insight we can gain from David’s lived experiences, we are setting out to change the industry one company at a time, and the acquisition of BetProtect forms another cornerstone of that objective,” commented Paul Foster, Crucial Compliance CEO.

“We strongly believe that there is an appetite to do more from within the industry, and a willingness from the leading providers in the UK and from overseas to change the overall mentality of a sector that is trying to acknowledge that the addiction risk is still with us in this digital age.

“Crucial Compliance already works across the industry, utilising cutting-edge software and data tools to spot risky play, provide tailored interventions and improve industry safety standards, so we’re excellently equipped to manage the roll-out of BetProtect’s functionality across the industry.

“In the short term, we’re seeking to prevent gambling-related harm and protect players as quickly as possible. In the longer term, I truly believe we can drive real cultural change in the industry, keeping the power of David’s own story front of mind, together with our unique position as an independent compliance consultancy.”

The Safer Online Gambling Group, which operated as a community interest company, will be dissolved following the completion of the sale and a short handover period.

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the industry” after BetProtect purchase appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Safer Online Gambling Group secures funding to develop digital therapy tools

Craig Davies — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 11:00:34 +0000

The Safer Online Gambling Group has announced that it has secured £40,000 worth of funding as it looks to scale up its work on the development of digital tools.

SOGG intends to use the tools to help prevent problem gambling behaviour in online bettors and plans to launch its first digital solution within three months.

The financial backing comes from the Inclusive Recovery Fund, available from UnLtd in partnership with Comic Relief and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

In addition, SOGG has been working closely with Entain, formerly known as GVC Holdings and the owner of the Ladbrokes Coral Group, as part its Changing for the Better Campaign.

Adam Bradford, director of SOGG, commented: “The funding is fantastic news. It means we can more effectively evaluate and scale up our work to help treat problem gambling behaviour more quickly through a range of digital tools.

“I know first-hand just how devastating the effects out of control online gambling can be on the wider family. This funding will help us make a huge difference where individuals are showing signs of problematic gambling.”

Of the £4.75m grants available from the UnLtd and Comic Relief’s Inclusive Recovery Fund, 72 per cent went to social organisations such as SOGG with first-hand experience of the issues they deal with.

SOGG, founded in 2019 by father and son team David and Adam Bradford, works across sectors to provide implementable solutions which support addicts and prevent gambling related harm.

The non-profit organisation aims to raise awareness of online gambling addiction, bring about support for gambling addicts under an NHS framework and work with operators and the government to tighten up gambling policy to protect vulnerable players.

Mark Norbury, chief executive of UnLtd, commented: “We were astonished at the quality and number of applications for this fund, demonstrating a clear and continuing funding gap for high-potential social entrepreneurs across a breadth of causes, communities, venture-types and sectors.

“Those funded today will be leading lights as we enter the next act of the coronavirus crisis – allowing us a glimpse of hope and optimism as the year draws to a close and we look further ahead to what comes next.”

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Safer Online Gambling Group gains ISO 9001 accreditation

Craig Davies — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 14:00:22 +0000

The Safer Online Gambling Group has announced its accreditation as an ISO 9001 certified organisation, emphasising a commitment to ‘continual improvement’ and delivering ‘high quality services and products’ to clients.

SOGG, founded in 2019 by father and son team David and Adam Bradford, works across sectors to provide implementable solutions which support addicts and prevent gambling related harm.

Adam Bradford, CEO and co-founder of SOGG, 28, explained: “I am really pleased that our commitment to putting the needs of our beneficiaries and customers first has been recognised.

“There is a lot of change afoot in gambling regulation and in the sector from every perspective, but our drive and focus is around advancing much needed digital solutions which bring together stakeholders and make for a safer gambling experience for all.

“Our partnerships and collaborations across the industry continue to grow and I look forward to us continuing to support the sector as its journey continues in the UK and further afield.

“Having worked with bodies such as the Gambling Commission, Public Health England and an expert network of counsellors and former gambling addicts, we are providing key insight to help keep gamblers safe while playing. We hope now to be able to contribute further to the Gambling Commission’s national strategy and take our work further.

“SOGG continues to be a credible and trustworthy critical friend to the industry, but not afraid to campaign on behalf of families affected by a gambling addiction who are too often left without a voice.”

In May 2019, GVC Holdings strengthened its ‘Changing for the Bettor’ corporate campaign by partnering with SOGG, where the firm works with the soon-to-be Entain to design digital therapy tools to stem gambling problems in the making, and provide instant support to those suffering.

Ryan Bradford, project manager at SOGG, added: ‘ISO 9001 accreditation is an excellent achievement that demonstrates Safer Online Gambling Group’s continued commitment to provide quality of care within the gambling sector.

“The ISO mark symbolises robustness within our processes and management and will be a great enabler for the organisation as we continue to work, support and prioritise those affected by gambling. We have a very exciting future which we will continue to drive alongside our partners within industry.”

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