SBC’s Player Protection day to debate safer gambling best practice

The inaugural SBC Player Protection online conference on 8 November 2023 will feature a speaker line-up that includes safer gambling experts from Betsson, bet365, 888, Entain, Fitzdares, Kindred and PENN Entertainment.

Part of SBC’s Digital Innovation Series, the conference is designed to encourage the sharing of knowledge and best practice on key responsible gambling issues, with the aim of helping to educate industry stakeholders and drive up standards.

In addition to input from major operators about their player protection programs, people logging on to the conference will also hear ideas from leading researchers, trade associations and non-profits. 

The agenda includes:

• Communication with at-risk players – a look at how best to engage with individuals who start to show signs of disordered play, with speakers including Sam McKnight, Head of UK Compliance for Fitzdares, and Safer Gambling Consultant Pedro Romero.
• Safer marketing in a socially responsible environment – an examination of how operators can promote themselves, both directly and via affiliates, in a safe way. Panelists include Peter Marcus, Group Operations Director at Entain, and Tom Banks, Head of Corporate Affairs UK for Kindred.
• The KPIs of problem gambling – a discussion about the benchmarks that operators should use for identifying players at risk of developing gambling disorders, with input from Eduards Jakubovs, Head of Safer Gambling at Betsson Group, EGBA’s Manager – EU Affairs Vasiliki Panousi and Simo Dragicevic, Board Member, UK Gambling Commission’s Digital Advisory Panel.
• What are the essentials for the toolbox? – an evaluation of the available player protection tools, how to monitor their effectiveness and how to best educate players. Speakers include Robert Munro, Head of Sports Services – Operations Compliance and Responsible Gambling for bet365, and Mark Griffiths, Director of the International Gaming Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University. 
• Implementing an effective player protection strategy – which asks, how can operators utilise all the available tools, industry experience and resources to develop a truly sustainable approach that safeguards players, meets regulatory standards and retains customers. Contributors include Peter Marcus, Group Operations Director at Entain, Andrew Anthony, VP, Customer Safety & Due Diligence for 888 Holdings, and Emilia Kinderman, Group Compliance Director at Fitzdares. 
• Unlock the ultimate game changer – Mary Donohue, CEO of Digital Wellness Center, introduces MyStride Positive Play, a digital therapeutic designed to enhance player retention and loyalty. 
• 18 v 21 – What’s the right legal gambling age for the US? – experts including Samantha Haggarty, Deputy Chief Compliance Officer, Regulatory Affairs Counsel for PENN Entertainment, Marlene Warner, CEO of Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health, and Jamie Salsburg, Founder of Dvye, debate the right approach for protecting young players. 

The online Player Protection conference gets underway at 10am GMT on 8 November and is hosted in SBC’s digital conference environment, where delegates will also be able to find on-demand reruns of all the sessions. 

Register free for the Player Protection day here.