SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
UK-registered safer gambling charity BetBlocker has announced the launch of its Dutch language app and technical support service.
Identifying the expansion of the BetBlocker service into other languages as a ‘natural progression’, the firm aims to maximise the number of users within specific language markets by offering native language technical support.
By using BetBlocker’s app, bettors can use a continuous block to prevent themselves from accessing online gambling operators, or manage their accessibility to betting and gaming products by scheduling when the restriction is active, with the aim of offering ‘protection during periods of vulnerability’.
Duncan Garvie, Founder and Trustee of BetBlocker, said: “Expanding BetBlocker to other language markets has always been a clear objective for the service. The most significant barrier to taking this step is providing native language support, due to the staffing costs involved.
“The partnership with L&L Europe is a symbiotic relationship that both allows BetBlocker to focus the funding we receive on improving and expanding the protections that our app offers while L&L Europe demonstrate their commitment to responsible gambling, providing translation services to allow Dutch users to access BetBlocker in the language they are most comfortable with.
“We hope that this will be the first of many such partnerships with the industry that will allow us to offer our service in a variety of languages.”
BetBlocker’s services are currently available worldwide, but only in an English language form. However, making the product available in Dutch was identified as a key target of the company in May, in collaboration with L&L Europe.
L&L Europe – which already provides the self-exclusion service to the UK market – supplied resources to translate the BetBlocker website and application into Dutch, and has worked on the development of support services.
The launch of BetBlocker’s Dutch app and support comes ahead of the opening of the country’s online gambling market next month, under the terms of the ‘Remote Gambling Act’ (KOA Act).
“How a simple question like: ‘Is there a gambling block application available in the Dutch language?’ results in such an amazing and well executed project!” added Jan Wienk, Marketing Manager and Head of Product Development, L&L Europe.
“Extremely proud to be collaborating with BetBlocker & “Pas op met Gamen en Gokken” founder Feite Hofman. An online casino operator has a duty of care, and this project completion shows we have. This truly shows we’re not only compliant within the field of responsible gambling, but we also take the extra step.”
