Focal Research Consultants LimitedFocal Research Consultants LimitedFocal Research Consultants Limited
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Halifax, NS, Canada, B3L 2C2
Focal Research Consultants LimitedFocal Research Consultants LimitedFocal Research Consultants Limited

Focal Assist

Digital Safer Gambling Resources for All Customers

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Why Choose Assist

Focal Assist bridges the gap between safer gambling policy and real-world customer support. It offers an engaging, anonymous platform filled with evidence-based tools that help customers understand cost, risk, and play behaviour—without judgment or pressure.

With interactive calculators, educational games, videos, and chatbot support, Assist empowers customers to make informed decisions while reducing the burden for staff. It also helps operators demonstrate a clear commitment to harm prevention and regulatory alignment.

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Benefits

Assist is designed for casinos, retail gambling venues, and safer gambling teams that want to offer effective support beyond the gaming floor. It enhances customer care by providing private, accessible tools that encourage safer play—without requiring staff involvement.

Whether used as a standalone platform or alongside Focal Prevent, Assist simplifies compliance, supports early interactions, and ensures every customer has access to trusted evidence-based content anytime they need it.

What Problems Does it Solve

Assist addresses key industry needs by:

Turning safer gambling policy into real-world support
Educating customers with interactive tools on cost, odds, and play patterns
Empowering staff with self-guided resources and insights
Reducing compliance risk through consistent messaging
Demonstrating social responsibility to customers and regulators

Features

Encourages Safer, Sustainable Play
Interactive tools promote reflection and informed decision-making, helping customers manage their play in safer, more sustainable ways.

Improves Customer Awareness
Personalized summaries reveal common patterns like chasing losses or high-intensity play—delivered in a clear, supportive way that encourages self-assessment.

Boosts Engagement with Safer Gambling Content
Educational interactive tools are more effective than traditional brochures—making it easier for customers to connect with safer gambling messages.

Demonstrates Safer Gambling Commitment
Offering Focal Assist shows that your venue prioritizes customer wellbeing and aligns with best practices for safer gambling.

Helps Reduce Gambling-Related Harm
Early education and insights reduce risk before problems begin—promoting safer play and long-term customer wellbeing.

Supports Regulatory Compliance
Built-in reporting, consistent messaging, and evidence-based tools help operators meet regulatory requirements with confidence.

Protects Customer Privacy
The platform collects no personal data—ensuring customers feel safe exploring support content on their own terms.

Enables Discreet, On-Demand Support
With mobile-first design and access via QR code or loyalty card, customers can get help anytime—privately and without barriers.

Testimonials

“Focal brings a thoughtful, evidence-based perspective grounded in more than 30 years of applied gambling research, responsible gambling evaluation, player protection, gambling risk detection, and player support. Through its participation in the IGSA Safer Gambling Committee and its members, Focal helps advance practical, implementable industry standards focused on keeping players safe while supporting innovation across the global gaming sector.”
“By combining decades of research expertise with practical tools such as real-time behavioural risk detection, customer care training, and automated messaging, Focal is helping us move beyond reactive compliance toward a more proactive culture of player protection, accountability, and measurable impact.”
“What particularly stands out is their ability to connect regulatory compliance, responsible gambling, gambling harm awareness, staff training, and player protection into one integrated approach for retail gambling. Their work anticipates where regulation is heading and gives the industry a credible, operationally realistic way to meet those expectations.”
"SkyCity has worked with Focal for over 15 years, starting in Auckland and expanding to our Hamilton and Adelaide precincts. It’s become one of the key parts of our Host Responsibility Program, helping us identify at-risk customers and providing opportunities for us to engage with those customers directly. Focal’s tools have helped us create a safer gambling environment and take action to reduce gambling harm in our venues through meaningful interactions."
"Player protection has always been central to how we operate at the Hippodrome. Since we introduced the Focal system in January 2020, it’s become a key part of our Safer Gambling Program. It was easy to integrate and continues to evolve with our needs, giving us the insight we need to help prevent and reduce gambling harm on the floor."
"For over a decade, Focal Research has played an important part in our harm minimisation strategy for safer gambling. Their predictive tools enable us to identify at-risk customers early, and their customised, evidence-based solutions play a key role for our customer assessments. We are proud to continue strengthening this partnership to safeguard our players."
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FAQ

Focal Assist is a digital safer gambling platform designed to educate, engage, and support customers through interactive tools, educational resources, and self-guided learning experiences. Accessible through mobile devices, QR codes, SMS links, and email communications, Assist helps customers make informed gambling decisions while supporting gambling harm prevention and responsible gambling objectives.

Focal Assist supports safer gambling by providing customers with practical tools, educational content, videos, self-assessments, calculators, and personalised learning resources. The platform helps customers better understand gambling costs, odds, play habits, and risk factors, encouraging awareness, reflection, and informed decision-making before, during, and after play.

Focal Assist is designed for casinos, clubs, gaming venues, and gambling operators looking to strengthen their safer gambling programs. The platform supports both customers and frontline staff by providing accessible resources, educational tools, and consistent safer gambling messaging across land-based and digital gambling environments.

Focal Assist includes cost of play calculators, budget planning tools, gambling self-assessments, educational games, safer gambling videos, learning modules, and information about gambling products, odds, randomness, and gambling support services. These resources are designed to make safer gambling information engaging, practical, and easy to understand.

Customers can access Focal Assist instantly by scanning a QR code, clicking a direct link, or receiving a link through SMS or email communications. The platform works across mobile devices, tablets, and desktop computers without requiring downloads, registrations, accounts, or logins.

No. Focal Assist is designed with privacy in mind and does not require customers to register, create an account, or provide personal information. Users remain anonymous while accessing the platform, and only non-identifying engagement metrics are collected to help operators understand overall usage and improve content effectiveness.

Yes. Focal Assist integrates with Focal Prevent to support personalised safer gambling communication and customer engagement. When Prevent identifies customers who may benefit from support, operators can automatically direct them to relevant Assist resources, educational tools, and safer gambling information. Higher-risk situations can also trigger staff interactions supported by Assist content and guidance.

When integrated with Focal Prevent, Focal Assist can support automated safer gambling messaging through SMS and email communications. Focal Assist can provide customers to budgeting tools, cost of play calculators, educational content, self-assessments, and direct to support resources that align with their needs and encourage safer gambling behaviours.

Focal Assist helps operators demonstrate their commitment to responsible gambling, customer care, and regulatory best practice. The platform provides accessible educational resources, supports proactive customer engagement, delivers measurable reporting, and helps operators provide consistent safer gambling information across their operations.

Focal Assist provides privacy-conscious engagement reporting that helps operators understand how customers interact with safer gambling resources. Reports include metrics such as page visits, most-viewed content, session duration, engagement trends, and overall participation levels. These insights help operators evaluate effectiveness, improve customer engagement, and support compliance reporting requirements.

Yes. Focal Assist can be purchased as a stand-alone product providing your customers with safer gambling resources. When integrated with Focal Prevent, Focal Assist can support automated safer gambling messaging through SMS and email communications.

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Focal’s Intelligent Solutions

Prevent

Real-Time Risk Identification and Safer Gambling Messaging System

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Screenshot of Focal GO venue analytics dashboard showing performance metrics

GO

On-the-Floor Insights and Interaction Management

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Care

24/7 Online Customer Care Training Portal

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Comply

Custom Services for Compliance and Regulatory Oversight

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Research

Independent and Collaborative Research for Real-World Application

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