Artificial intelligence as a means of tackling problem gambling has been announced by Tabcorp Holdings as one of the ways the group has tried to adopt more socially responsible policies in 2018, as announced in its Corporate Responsibility Review published today.
The predictive risk analytics technology was rolled out by the group to analyse the wagering behaviour of individuals, and to monitor betting patterns which may point towards a potential addiction.
The review covers the period 1 July, 2017, to June 30, 2018, and includes six and a half months of data from Tatts Group Limited, following the merger between the two companies in December of last year.
Tabcorp addressed its decision to prioritise social responsibility measures in 2018, highlighting that while their policies have had some level of success, Tabcorp and the industry as a whole is obliged to implement further tools to combat problem gambling across Australia.
The review stated: “We take a proactive approach to minimising potential harm through initiatives and education campaigns, self-exclusion programmes and research.
“We proactively analyse customer account activity to identify and mitigate potential gambling harm.”
Looking to the future, Tabcorp has elected to expand its online self-exclusion technology, which it’s hoped will give consumers an opportunity to “Take a Break” from gambling for a specific time period, as well as setting weekly spend and deposit limits.
Front-line retail staff across its 9,000 plus shops are to continue receiving further training in recognising addictive behaviour, and online help sources are to be made more accessible.
The group added: “Tabcorp’s focus is on minimising harm from gambling. It is our goal to equip our customers, employees and the community with information and resources to help them make informed decisions about gambling, to ensure our products and services are used responsibly.”
Alongside its decision to adopt more measures that promote social responsibility, the group has endorsed more socially-inclusive policies which foster diversity and equality in the workplace.
David Attenborough, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, stated: “We conducted our annual gender pay gap analysis which found there was no pay gap in like-for-like roles across the combined group.
“In FY19, our focus continues to be on bringing together the best of the Tabcorp and Tatts practices. We will continue to embed and refine our corporate responsibility framework in line with the combined group’s new strategy, purpose, vision and values”