How technology can make things safer in the gambling world

There is a constant worry in the world that technology is going to take over and ruin human civilization as we know it. People are scaremongering that their normal everyday activities are being used by a robots and that the government are tracking their every move through technology. However, it couldn’t be further from the truth as technology is making us safer in the long run and it is just human nature to worry about a societal change.

Technology is always advancing and there are issues all over the world in all aspects of life regarding the safety of technology. From cryptocurrency to online purchases, technology is key.

Gambling Online

So in terms of gambling how is it making it safer to bet with and are we even noticing the extra effect of added technology to help protect the gambler and also help them enjoy the act of gambling rather than the customer getting into gambling debt.

The gambling world has come a long way from back street bets and it has been for the better. Governments have added regulators onto gambling in shops so that the customer is not spending too much on machines and online there has been daily spending or deposit limit. Subtle technology implements like this can enhance the gamblers experience so that they are not wasting their money on gambling and getting themselves into a further hole.

COPYRIGHT_WI: Published on https://washingtonindependent.com/how-technology-can-make-things-safer-in-the-gambling-world/ by Elisa Mueller on 2022-02-20T09:29:25.262Z

Online gambling usage increased over the pandemic and it has made people think more and more about their online safety. More and more data is being put online so it is vital there is technology in place to help protect the customers from cyber-attacks and from betting too much.

Already in place are 24-hour monitoring of accounts and algorithms that continually track player behaviour that are able to intervene if the betting habits of a customer is starting to become dangerous.

Alongside this companies have emphasized more of their interaction with gamblers that they fear are not betting responsibly. They will message players with pop up messages, messaging customers asking them “is this normal?” and making the feedback more personal so that they are convinced to take a break from the betting world until they are able to enjoy betting once again.

Messaging helps players stick to their daily limits. Stewart and Wohl found that when pop-up messaging was used to share knowledge surrounding the player’s money, 89.66% of players opted to stick to their pre-set limit compared to participants who did not receive said messaging (43.33%).

The Upcoming Trial

With gambling online there is a risk that new sportsbooks do not ask for previous history from the customer to see if they have been struck off previously or if they were not able to bet responsibly. Due to regulations, betting companies are not allowed to share data currently but that is hindering people’s enjoyment with betting.

Betting and Gaming Council members have been working closely with the regulator, the Gambling Commission, to establish a project to share personal data with other companies in the betting industry. They have called it a Single Customer View.

The idea is out there now to allow companies to share data between each other to build up a database of people who are struggling to bet responsibly. A database, so to speak, could be important for these types of people but the database would not include people who are able to bet responsibly and just enjoy a “little bet” each weekend.

Chris Philp, the gambling minister, said that the establishment of this scheme is “an important step towards protecting vulnerable people”.

If there was a database of all gamblers, even ones that are not problem gamblers, it could lead to more issues than solving any of the current problems. People will turn to the black market for gambling even more so than they do now where betting is unregulated and which has seen a doubling in the number of customers using it in the past two years. Billions of pounds has already been spent on the black market, where there is no help available for problem gamblers and absolutely no promoting for safer gambling.

Will This Work?

It is a huge leap for people to help them bet responsibly and it can be done without infringing people’s personal data. The data part is the important part and one that will be dealt with correctly and sensitively.

Even at the moment, before the trial, problem gambling rate in the UK, according to the Gambling Commission, has fallen recently from 0.6 per cent to 0.3 per cent of the adult population. This is incredibly encouraging and hopeful for the future of the UK.

About The Authors

Elisa Mueller - Elisa Mueller was born in Kansas City, Missouri, to a mother who taught reading and a father who taught film. As a result, she spent an excessive amount of her childhood reading books and watching movies. She went to the University of Kansas for college, where she earned bachelor's degrees in English and journalism. She moved to New York City and worked for Entertainment Weekly magazine for ten years, visiting film sets all over the world.