Stephen Armstrong, William Hill’s AML group director has spoken out about the current situation brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic, and reiterated they are not taking this current situation lightly and are more focused than ever on player protection in these uncertain times.
Gambling Habit Changes
Player protection is and always has always been the highest priority for William Hill but due to these unprecedented times, operators are aware player habits may change and this needs to be closely monitored.Armstrong said,“ It’s important for us to know personal information such as if someone has been furloughed from a long-term job which might change their behaviour and lead them to play a different product or for more hours than usual. “ Knowing their situation allows us to manage their and all that data collected is so vital for us to make a decision. The pandemic has heightened the need for such information but operators should be doing anyway.”Operators have also been praised as earlier this week The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) announced that UK operators will no longer be advertising their products on TV or radio during this lockdown period.
Monitoring Player Behaviour
It’s an absolute must that all operators monitor player behaviour closely and if changes occur this needs addressing immediately. With the population in lockdown and bored with no social interaction, monitoring is a must in protecting people who may resort to gambling more often or spending more money.The pandemic has without a doubt hit the gambling sector hard with all sporting sectors now cancelled, but it will resume at some point and the industry will slowly pick up but this will take time. All sectors in the gambling industry are being urged to pull together during this current period. Monitoring player habits and changes in the way they gamble is something all operators must be vigilant about.