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Could Forced Play Breaks Protect UK Punters?
By Shane Addinall Mar 24, 2022 IndustryIn the absence of the promised White Paper, many speculate on what British MPs may include in new regulations. Mandatory play breaks made it onto the list this week.New data indicates that a 60-minute mandatory play break has a significant impact on a player’s gambling behaviour, after the fact. A study published in the Journal of Gambling Studies, with findings based on UK gamblers, determined that punters choose to deposit less or stop gambling for the rest of the day after taking a break.
Authors Mark Griffiths and Michael Auer applied their research to real-world data provided by Skillonnet. The pool of players whose wagering habits formed part of the study remained anonymous and the operator gave the authors access to data stretching over 54 days, from July to September 2021.
While Britain awaits the government’s White Paper on the impending Gambling Reform, statistics of this nature may shape and guide new legislation. Studies in other parts of the world show that stricter regulations channel players away from regulated sites. Will the UK become an authoritarian nanny state, or will they instead empower their adult citizens to make their own choices?
A 60-minute Breather
Mark D. Griffiths and Michael Auer set out to uncover the efficacy of the responsible gambling (RG) tool used by some operators to minimise harm. According to the authors of the study, empirical data from prior research came up with mixed results and thus they presented a large-scale, real-world study. Griffiths was a key contributor to Allwyn’s bid to take over the UK National Lottery. Both authors are veterans in the gambling industry.
The European operator, Skillonnet, imposed a 60-minute play break from 20 August 2021, which triggered if a player made 10 or more deposits in one calendar day. Skillonnet allowed the authors to capture anonymous player tracking data between 23 July and 15 September in 2021, while no play-breaks were in place and after they implemented it. They examined 2,021 player profiles, and these players produced 2,994 events of 10 or more deposits in one calendar day.
Skillonnet imposed the 60-minute cooling-off period on 20 August and the authors recorded a statistically significant change in the number of deposits on the day of the break. During the control period, most of the players (99.9%) made at least 11 deposits in one calendar day. Notably, after the operator imposed breaks, only 55% of punters deposited after the break was over.
RG Tools Enabling Black Market
Other findings in the study indicate that the time-of-day players accessed their account and the money they won during a session impacted whether or not they deposit again after a break. In one instance, the likelihood of players making more deposits increased with mandatory breaks in place.
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) argues that the UK government must weigh their options in the way forward with the gambling reform and warn that an offensive strategy is best. Michael Dugher, BGC Chief Executive, said:
"The growth of the unsafe, unregulated black market in online gambling is part of a global trend and it’s foolish to think that there’s an enforcement solution to this. The DCMS simply throwing more money and a few extra powers at the Gambling Commission won’t fix this for the Government."
Research from European markets shows that when players feel controlled and pushed into regulatory corners, they choose to gamble with unregulated offshore platforms instead. As most adult citizens do, punters prefer the freedom of choice, regardless of the risks involved.
Naïve Player Protection
The British government is at a pinnacle point in their regulation of gambling, and we can only hope the extended wait for their White Paper points to well-considered reforms. As the BGC warns, hasty and naïve legislation may cause the inverse of player protection, and with the consumer at the centre of their protocols, black-market channelling must be avoided.
If Britain decides to become a babysitter for its adult citizens and force operators into the same nanny role, a once flourishing UK gambling industry may fall from grace.
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