SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Creating the right balance for safer gambling strategies requires a collaborative effort between operators, regulators and players, according to Tereza Tokmajyan, the Chief Marketing Officer of TotoGaming.
Speaking during the ‘Balancing Player Protection and Growth’ panel at SBC Summit Tbilisi, Tokmajyan detailed the importance of operators providing players with the opportunity to make informed decisions about their gambling.
“Catch the right balance, as responsible gaming represents more than just the tools provided; it also takes into account the user interface and user experience when delivering these resources,” she explained.
“When we display the timely pop-ups, reminding users how much time and finances they have spent, we’re not just offering information, we’re giving them an opportunity to embrace responsibility.”
The session, which saw Tokmajyan joined on stage by RomBet President Dan Alexandru Ghiță and 4H Agency Partner Ivan Kurochkin, examined the growing importance of responsible gaming policies and functionality to operators.
TotoGaming’s CMO made the point that having the right safer gambling options available is not just an exercise in meeting regulatory requirements, it can also help to improve player retention levels.
“Any gaming operator wants to have a protected, satisfied player full of positive emotions, because in that case the user will definitely return to the platform again to have a good time and get a unique gaming experience,” said Tokmajyan.
“Therefore, having an operating and correct functionality of responsible gaming on the platform, of course, will make a difference.”
The TotoGaming company, which has been operating in the Armenian market for 20 years, has received a licence in Romania and will soon launch there.
The brand will implement several tools for responsible gaming at the same time, including the ability for players to set personal budgets, time limits and self exclusion. The implementation of these responsible gaming tools is also a requirement of the law, and creates a balance in the relations between the regulatory body, the operator and the player. Such an experience is important for the company, because applying it will be possible in other markets in the future.
“We are happy to launch TotoGaming’s website in Romania with responsible gaming tools, because this is a vital subject for our brand,” Tokmajyan said during the discussion.
“It so happened that the implementation of the responsible gaming functionality in Armenia is carried out on a voluntary basis. But this is a subject with many nuances, therefore coordinated work is essential.”
Ghiță, who heads the trade association for the Romanian industry, agreed about the importance of cooperation. He said: “Great emphasis should be placed on dialogues and joint work between the state bodies and operators.
“In order for responsible gaming tools to serve their purpose, the state bodies should be well aware of the industry, and this is where dialogue matters.”
Drawing on the experience of TotoGaming in its home market, Tokmajyan added: “In Armenia, for example, the government learns about many nuances related to the market from meetings with the operators. The restrictions here have already paid off․
“We hope that in the future there will be more such discussions, which will be aimed at controlling the market rather than limiting it, and the use of responsible gaming tools will be one of those ways.”
All the participants in the conference discussion were definitely of the same opinion on the topic of the importance of educating society that gambling is a form of entertainment and that responsible gaming is a part of that – so players themselves should feel their share of responsibility.
