Far from its early days, and its wild Hollywood depictions, the gambling industry has matured into a regulated and legislated business. The current generation of trustworthy casino operators understands that the safety, security and financial stability of their patrons are imperative to achieving sustainable a business model.
While this is true and many of the systems that have put in place at both online casinos and land-based casinos are aimed at detecting problem gamblers and protecting sensitive data not much is said about it publicly, however, the European Casino Association (ECA) has been working on changing that.
✓ECA’s Did You Know Campaign
May 2019 saw the ECA launch their inaugural “Did You Know” campaign. The aim of the campaign was to create widespread awareness of the positive impact of the gambling industry across Europe, as well as specifically addressing concerns around sensitive issues such as compliance, money laundering, gambling-related crime and of course compulsive gambling.
Per Jaldung, Chairman of the European Casino Association, said:
“The campaign is part of the ECA’s strategy to stay relevant and transparent: for a long time, the industry has been surrounded by misconceptions leading to a negative impact for the industry itself and everyone involved in it. Furthermore, with the global growth of gambling, it is fundamental to distinguish the licensed and legitimate industry from the illegal and grey one. We are proud of this initiative and look forward to more to come.”
The response from operators and the public has been mostly positive with the ECA’s social media posts and info sheets receiving positive comments, a fair number of shares and likes.
✓Did You Know Factoids
Here are three of the interesting highlights that the ECA campaign shared with regards Europe’s licenced casino industry:
- ECA member casinos employ 340,000 people across Europe
- Local infrastructure has received investments of €11 Billion over the last 10 years
- ECA members contribute more than €3 billion per year into the local economy
They have comprehensive documents available for free for you to download on their official website which delves into such matters as the prevention of criminal infiltration, how casino deposits do not support money laundering, ongoing commitment to responsible gambling and much more. Worth checking out if you’re a fan of the hobby and want to stay informed.
