Focal Points - December 2023
Hello,
Welcome to the latest edition of the Focal Points newsletter.
Read on to see new developments, research, and other key updates.
New Developments
Safer Gambling Research and Solutions: Sharing Insights at ICE 2024
Join us at ICE 2024, where Tracy and Jay will speak on panels at the World Regulatory Briefing and the Safer Gambling Workshop series.
These ICE VOX panels will focus on the intersection of research and policy and how to shift responsibility from players to products across safer gambling solutions.
Visit our team in the Consumer Protection Zone Feb 6th-8th (Booth N1-CP2) to learn more about our innovative, safer gambling solutions.
Tracy and Jay will keep the momentum going on stage as they engage with colleagues in the safer gambling space on how we can work together to better protect and support players.
We hope to see you there!
Focal to Share Prevention Strategies and Safeguards at Regulating the Game Sydney
We are excited to announce our participation in Regulating the Game Sydney in March 2024; we look forward to sharing our expertise and perspectives with a global audience of key stakeholders.
In an informative fireside chat, Tracy will delve into critical questions facing the field. With her 20 years of experience in applied data analytics player protection, she will offer evidence of how the field can shift toward a fulsome preventative approach to addressing gambling harm.
Jay will also be bringing new ideas to improve safeguards by emphasizing employee well-being to promote safer gambling.
Research
Detecting EGM Risk in Real-Time – Report Coming in January
Collaborating with multiple global operators, this report will provide insights on how Focal’s models can help staff respond to EGM risk live on the gaming floor.
You can access our report on our website in the new year.
Paving the Way for Prevention at IAGR in Gaborone, Botswana
Tracy and Tony introduced our leading research on behavioural triggers for preventing gambling-related harm, providing valuable information for regulators and industry professionals.
This research is the first of its kind in identifying the pre-cursors of harm – not harm itself – that can lead to risky play if left uninterrupted. Our team emphasizes the importance of examining play behaviour from a prevention lens to have the greatest impact on player safety and sustainability. After years of rigorous testing, Focal will be applying these triggers to our safer gambling solutions in January 2024.
We were grateful to be one of 20 speakers at IAGR and enjoyed sharing our research with such a prestigious and receptive audience. We look forward to sharing more updates on this ground-breaking research next year.
Recap of National Association for Gambling Studies 2023
We enjoyed participating in this year’s NAGS conference and reinforcing our dedication to advancing safer gambling.
Jay ran a half-day workshop on gambling literacy, and both Tracy and Jay shared insights in presentations on using data more meaningfully for prevention, affordability, and risk identification purposes.
Thank you to everyone we spoke with who contributed to the meaningful dialogue and collaboration among regulators, operators, academics, and prevention specialists.
Key Updates
Improved Outcomes for UK Operator Using ALeRT System
One of our UK clients commissioned us to provide an impact evaluation for them this fall. We were able to show a reduction in spend and improved outcomes for customers with the use of the ALeRT System—our congratulations to their entire team for this outstanding achievement.
– Dr. Tony Schellinck
ALeRT GO Ready for Trial in Q1 of 2024
A dynamic mobile companion to our comprehensive ALeRT System, ALeRT GO allows staff to log safer gambling interactions and observations with ease, empowering your team to take action on the fly.
New Updates to ALeRT Bettor Customer Care Training Portal
We are pleased to announce that the training portal is undergoing new updates to enhance its content and design. Our team is working tirelessly to make the portal more informative and user-friendly and will share more updates with you soon.
Our ALeRT BCC Training Portal offers operators:
- Easily Accessible Online Portal
- Round the Clock 24/7 Access
- User Activity Tracking & Reporting
- Customer Care Training for Effective Interactions
- ALeRT Dashboard System Training (Staff/Management/IT)
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Technical Support
- And More!
With Appreciation
A Big Thank You to the Operators, Regulators and Stakeholders we Met with in Australia while Attending NAGS
It was an absolute pleasure to connect with such outstanding and innovative people. We greatly appreciate your time and hospitality and look forward to collaborating with you further to advance player safety and reduce gambling risk and harm.
From top to bottom: Tracy Schrans, Con Nikitas (Endeavour Group), Jay Robinson, Jacky Stickler (Brassets Group), Sonja Bauer (AGC), Jabez Allies (Responsible Gameplay), Dr. Anastasia Hronis (Institute for Human Wellness).
We wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season!
Please let us know how we can assist you with your safer gambling needs in the new year.
We hope you will pass this along to your colleagues, and if you have any questions, please get in touch with us here. If you are a member of the media, please get in touch with us here.
Sincerely,
The Focal Team
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