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Looking ahead, however, it feels there is a huge tidal wave of a challenge around mental health and its impact on society heading our way. Our work at GMA with severely addicted gamblers very much focuses on helping improve people’s mental health and outlook through giving them the skills to cope with life's challenges, which are severely acute for addicted gamblers, their friends and family.

This is an area we believe is key - ensuring severe gambling addiction is tackled in a holistic, therapeutic way as a matter of public health provision. And, there may be things in the wider regulatory environment that can impact on that where we'll review carefully the ‘expert opinion’ submitted to the review.

SBC: From a consumer standpoint, what visible changes will the review of the Gambling Act bring in terms of bonuses, incentives and challenging disputes?

MH: Again, it would be important to see what evidence emerges on this and ultimately it is a matter for the

THIS REVIEW OFFERS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO PROGRESS THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON PROBLEM GAMBLING FURTHER

lawmakers to shape what technical changes are needed from Industry.

Much of our traffic at Gambling Therapy is regarding dispute resolution which can be resolved by multilingual sites (we offer the ability to speak in over 160 languages) and clearer routes to sorting problems. So enhanced and consistent communication is essential in a global market with companies taking ownership of clients gambling online many thousands of miles away.

Continual training and professional development of frontline staff to deliver excellence in support and signposting (something that we are actively promoting) is something that needs to be considered - the benchmarks of quality we need to get consistency in.

After what we have gone through with Covid and related mental health issues, then we have to realise that it is increasingly complex dealing with the severity of issues being presented. At GT this happens in different languages, and further emphasises the need for more resources, more training, more effective signposting and triaging for people who desperately need help.

SBC: How is GMA supporting the government in its evidence collection ahead of the review?

MH: We are particularly looking to inform and influence an enhanced public health approach, by making the case for an expansion of resources to fund more residential treatment capacity. We've already set out our stall for 2021 by announcing that we will set up a woman's residential treatment centre this coming year.

There was a lot of media interest in that story, but we realise that this step forward is only the tip of the iceberg. Our plans for 2021 and further into the future have growing our capacity and the quality of treatment very much to the fore.

We also recognised that the impact of the Covid pandemic will be with us for years to come, even with the hope of the vaccine. So, we will be arguing for a joined-up public health approach to gambling addiction that allows more people to get treatment – and for them to get the right treatment at the right time. We are embracing innovative change and we

plan to ensure that our expertise is shared and built upon in as extensive and helpful way as possible in wider society.

SBC: Do you think that the review needs to place more of a focus on pre-emptive education to combat problem gambling?

MH: This question doesn’t appear to be directly addressed in the call for evidence. Education is a vital part of any treatment programme and is an important at any stage of the gambling continuum. This includes front-line staff working at call centres as clients move along the continuum due to circumstances. It is really important to understand where someone is located due to their life stressors.

Pre-emptive education is often presumed to be aimed at a younger generation and we feel there is great

THIS REVIEW IS UNDOUBTEDLY A POSITIVE OPPORTUNITY TO STRIKE A NEW AND HEALTHY BALANCE FOR ALL SIDES

benefit in ongoing psycho-educative programmes for anyone who has not travelled far enough along the continuum to be considered a problem gambler.

At GT we are investigating the benefits of Single Session Counselling (Dryden, 2019), which is solution-based and has a large education component moving the client to find their plan of recovery – an approach that dates back to Freud.

Our Retreat and Counselling programme at GMA is delivered across 12 weeks with the problem gambler only in attendance for the first and last weekend. There are obvious benefits for people who work, have children or are just not able to make the commitment of a 14-week residential programme. This has a very large psycho-educative component reinforced by therapists each week. It has been a natural fit to go online in these Covid times.

SBC: Can we ever achieve a balance in legislation which benefits the gambling industry but also minimises problem gambling?

MH: GMA has never taken a judgmental

EDUCATION IS A VITAL PART OF ANY TREATMENT PROGRAMME AND IS AN IMPORTANT AT ANY STAGE OF THE GAMBLING CONTINUUM

approach on gamblers or the gambling industry. We recognise that for the majority of people gambling is fun and not harmful. But we also recognise there are sections of society that need protection and balance is the key word here.

Get it wrong and the possibility of either a black market growing on the one side or harm not being rectified on the other are possibilities. This review is undoubtedly a positive opportunity to strike a new and healthy balance for all sides.

The one thing we need to keep focused on is that - whatever the new environment looks like - there will still be severely addicted gamblers and more has to be done to provide for their treatment and recovery to achieve freedom from gambling addiction. •

Scientific Games Book of Ultimate Infinity

Basic Info: On any spin, if a minimum of three identical symbols land on reels one, two or three, an extra reel is added to the right. If identical symbols land in the extra reel, another reel is added. The first addition reel awards a 2x multiplier, which increases with each successive reel. At the start of every spin, a reel is randomly selected to contain the book, which is the scatter. Once revealed, players are awarded 10 free spins. Before the free spins commence, if the book or growing symbols land on the rightmost reel, an additional reel is added. If the growing symbol lands on two or more reels, it grows to fill each position of its reel and pays out once per symbol.

Reels: 3x4 (base game) - Infinity Reels Paylines: Infinite Volatility: High RTP: 96% Key Features: Infinity reels, expanding reels, increasing multiplier, book of free spins Rob Procter, Content Director, Digital at Scientific Games, said: “We’re really excited to unveil our new game Book of Ultimate Infinity and the reaction we have received from the industry has been fantastic. The game includes the innovative infinity reels mechanic from ReelPlay that ramps up the gaming experience by adding more reels during the gameplay, while the combination of the ‘Book of’ genre is sure to make the slot appealing to a wide audience. Being named Slot of the Week by SlotBeats is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the OpenGaming team in delivering a quality game.”

Green Jade Games Casino Blocks

Basic Info: Based on Green Jade’s flagship skill-based arcade game Jade Puzzle, Casino Blocks performs similar to a slot with the bet-per-move cadence first introduced with its Candy Prize BIG title. Players are given a random series of shapes which they must fit into the grid. The game features a mini slot bonus round that appears occasionally, giving players the chance to ramp up their winnings through various multipliers. Players earn points when they form a continuous line of eight cells, either vertical or horizontal, which then disappear from the board to free up more space. Players are also given two ‘power ups’ to help complete the game including a ‘rotation power up’ and an ‘exchange shape power up’. Each game starts with both power meters at full. Additional power ups are issued when players earn 600 skill points and 750 skill points respectively. Skill points are rewarded based on how well the player performs during the game.

Reels: 8x8 Payline: N/A Volatility: N/A RTP: 96.15%

Key Features:

Bonus mini slot, skill balance pot Mark Taffler, CCO at Green Jade Games, said: “We founded the business in order to change the industry. We stand by that mission statement and we’re extremely proud of Casino Blocks. Jade Puzzle was and still is a huge success, however, as with every new concept, we must adapt to the market forces.

“We saw with Candy Prize and Candy Prize BIG that different markets react differently to these skill games. Bet In Game is a feature we will now roll out on our skill games as it helps the game to engender itself to the existing player base, whilst attracting a new audience with its UX.”

Yggdrasil Pirates 2: Mutiny

Basic Info: During the base game, players win when a cluster of six or more symbols appear together and they remain on the game screen until no new winning symbols are revealed after each spin. The tsunami feature washes away all the losing symbols to create a new dropdown which increases the chance of more wins. The mutiny feature guarantees a win while the canon blast destroys more losing symbols to display another dropdown. Filling two or more complete rows awards a multiplier from x2, up to x25 for the full screen. Landing three scatter symbols awards 10 free spins where a random pirate will be chosen as the high value symbol and any multiplier stays between spins.

Reels: 5x6 Paylines: Cluster pay Volatility: Medium RTP: 96.2% Key Features: Clusters, tsunami feature, multipliers, 3x3 symbols, free spins Jonas Strandman, Senior Games Strategist at Yggdrasil, noted: “Pirates 2: Mutiny combines spectacular visuals and innovative features for a captivating game centred around an ever-popular theme. This slot is packed with fun features that increase the ways to win and I’m sure it is going to be a big hit with players.

“We pride ourselves on the quality of our games that are hugely engaging and fun to play, so raise the Jolly Roger and climb aboard for some swashbuckling antics in Pirates 2: Mutiny.”

Kalamba Games Goblins and Gemstones

Basic Info: Within the game comes a trio of ‘collection meters’ that trigger one of three collection spins. These feature once 20 of the respective collection symbols have landed on the reels. Winning opportunities are boosted by the scatter split feature, which splits a randomly selected symbol into two or three and pays from anywhere on the reels. During the paired reels feature, reels are randomly grouped into a multitude of possible combinations for the chance of huge wins on every spin. Meanwhile the ‘expand n’ lock’ feature sees the reels expand to increase the potential number of ways to win.

Reels: 5x4 Paylines: 1,024 Volatility: High RTP: 96.30% yet increases to 97.09% when the HyperBonus is played Key Features: Collection spins, paired reels, expand ‘n lock, scatter split, free spins, HyperBonus Alex Cohen, COO and Co-founder of Kalamba Games, commented on the launch: “In this thrilling title we introduce some exciting new mechanics and features that will have players engrossed as they try to unlock the gems and treasures inside the vault protected by Goblins.

“We are constantly looking to evolve our games and features and we are really pleased with this high-volatility title packed with chances to win up to 38800x the bet.”

Big Time Gaming Cyberslot Megaclusters

Basic Info: During the base game, each spin begins with three rows and three columns of multi-coloured planet symbols. Each free spin begins with nine rows and nine columns. With the new megaclusters mechanic, each symbol that forms part of a winning combination will split into four smaller symbols to create more megaclusters. When combos appear within these smaller symbols, they shatter, and fresh ones fall into their place. This means that up to 321 symbols can occur during the free spins round. A golden roaming wild symbol appears on every spin, carrying a multiplier which starts at x1 then increases. Free spins are triggered when 12 or more reactions occur in the base game. Once activated, six free spins are awarded on the 9x9 grid. When a roaming wild reaches a multiple of 10, players receive two more additional free spins.

Reels: Three to nine reels, three to nine rows. Paylines: 16-256 megaclusters Volatility: High RTP: 96.36% Key Features: Megaclusters mechanic, golden roaming wild, rainbow roaming wild, free spins. Nik Robinson, BTG CEO, commented: “Big Time Gaming is committed to using technology to explore new dynamics in online casino gaming and we feel the Megaclusters engine is taking our slots in a brave new direction.”

Johan Ekberg, Group Casino Games Manager at LeoVegas, added: “Big Time Gaming are proven innovators and the Megaclusters mechanic is a great example of how gaming can be taken to a whole new level when you think outside the box. It’s a great honour to have the initial exclusive on Cyberslot Megaclusters and we know our players will go wild for it.”

Stakelogic Voodoo Reels Unlimited Free Spins

Basic Info: Within the game, free spins are triggered when a minimum of three scatter symbols land anywhere on the reels. This activates a minimum of six free spins. While free spins are active, Colossal symbols can appear on reels two and four, offering plenty of big win potential. The Ultimate Free Spins is automatically triggered at the end of the Free Spins round. This continues until three Voodoo symbols have been collected. When a Voodoo symbol is collected, it is replaced by a Wild symbol. Voodoo Reels Unlimited Free Spins also has a Pick and Click bonus game that is triggered when they collect six Yarn Ball symbols during the base game. When a Yarn Ball symbol is collected, a Wild takes its place.

Reels: 5x3 Paylines: 10 Volatility: Medium RTP: 96.49% Key Features: Pick and Click bonus round, Free Spins, Voodoo Scatters, Wild Mixer and Sticky Wilds Stephan van den Oetelaar, CEO of Stakelogic, commented: “Voodoo Reels Unlimited Free Spins allows players to summon magic to improve their luck and chances of winning big in this atmospheric and sinister slot. Of course, the game’s combination of generous bonus features helps, too.

“Voodoo Reels Unlimited Free Spins has been designed to deliver a spine tingling player experience by combining thrilling gameplay with dark and moody designs and chilling sounds. This all comes together to deliver a spell-binding player experience.”

Michael Chopra

‘A FORCE FOR GOOD’: HOW CAN THE INDUSTRY REINVENT GAMBLING SPONSORSHIPS?

WITH THE GOVERNMENT’S REVIEW into the 2005 Gambling Act now underway, the future for betting sponsorships remains uncertain. But can operators use their sponsorship agreements as a force for good?

Over the course of 2020 - or more specifically, the last few months - much of the focus surrounding sports sponsorship has been on the detrimental effect that clubs and leagues partnering with betting operators can have on audiences and customers, and young people especially.

The government review into the Gambling Act has sparked widespread casino brand 32Red - which has agreements in place with three EFL Championship clubs and Scottish giants Rangers - re-invested in Derby County’s mental health programme, ‘Team Talk’, after vowing to ‘reinvent sponsorship’ within sport and football.

Mental health in sport is now more topical than ever. In September, the Professional Footballers’ Association reported that 464 of its members had received counselling from the Sporting Chance clinic to date this year, compared to 563 for the whole of 2019. With the figure for 2020 rapidly closing in, 32Red injected tens of thousands of pounds into the mental health campaign, overseen by the Derby County Community Trust.

And the parent company’s General Manager Neil Banbury insinuated that a ban on betting operators partnering with sports clubs could have a profound on social responsibility initiatives, such as Derby’s Team Talk.

“Sponsors and clubs are also in a unique position to do more to make sponsorship truly benefit the whole community of a football club, and promote healthier, safer gambling through our activation,” he explained.

“A ban on an industry that supports the sport in such a strong way would clearly have a huge impact – both in terms of initiatives we support but also the broader football pyramid. As the EFL have recently said, the significant contribution betting companies make to the ongoing financial sustainability of professional football at all levels is as important now as it has ever been due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

He continued: “It would also not have the desired effect that those who support it wish for. It would remove the industry from the public’s eye at the very moment that responsible operators like Kindred are developing innovative and effective ways to communicate healthier gambling behaviour to adult audiences.”

Similarly, the National League’s official betting partner LV Bet pledged its support to the division’s mental health initiative through exclusive social and digital content, including interviews with managers and players as part of the contract which encompasses 68 teams across three divisions.

Marcin Jablonski, LV Bet’s Chief

debate across the betting industry, which is under heightened political scrutiny as a result of the review. Whilst clubs, leagues and federations await a decision, the gambling sector has demonstrated how it can make a difference within sport.

The way that sponsorships are activated may sway the government’s decision on the issue. Most notably, earlier this year, Kindred Group’s

Neil Banbury, General Manager UK, Kindred Group Marcin Jablonski, LV Bet’s Chief Commercial Officer

Commercial Officer, said: “A key initiative was to promote responsible gambling and positive mental health which was covered throughout our campaign.

“We also worked with key influencers in the National League across digital and fan groups who worked well with us and we will repeat this during the coming season. We are also delivering content with Managers of National League teams and sharing with the engaged audience we connect with. This season we have further plans to have a strong dialogue.”

As of late, a handful of professional athletes have opened up about their struggles with depression and anxiety, with stars such as Newcastle United’s Michael Chopra opening up discussions about his mental health.

The 36-year-old sat down with GamCare, GamBan and GamStop to discuss how he overcame his compulsive habits, as part of the TalkStopBan campaign, an initiative which seeks to provide support for problem gamblers over the festive period when they may find their mental wellbeing deteriorating whilst in isolation.

Neill Simpson, Brand Director at Mr Green, suggested that betting operators need to play an active role in joint agreements, during the SBC Summit Barcelona - Digital event.

He concurred: “In my experience a lot of operators I’ve seen make the mistake of thinking that if an

investment is ‘x’ million, then that’s the sponsorship done and dusted. Whereas actually, your level of investment outside of that is almost more important than the sponsorship money itself.”

North of the border, Paddy Power raised awareness of the Missing People charity by filling a stand at Motherwell FC with ‘missing’ fans in the summer. Although the Irish bookmaker has become synonymous with some of its well documented and widely publicised PR stunts, this particular campaign had a real purpose - setting out to reunite missing people across the UK with their loved ones.

Meanwhile, Safer Gambling Week 2020 saw a handful of Premier League and EFL clubs make a commitment to promoting the nationwide issue of problem gambling. Southampton Football Club launched ‘Listen to the Saint in you’ - a new initiative in collaboration with Sportsbet.io to raise awareness of responsible gambling practices. Through its sponsorship, the club also encouraged supporters to download the RecoverMe mobile application, which offers problem gamblers discrete support helplines.

Elsewhere, Football Index also donated its shirt sponsorship of Championship duo Nottingham Forest and Queens Park Rangers to YGAM, in aid of the cross-industry initiative. Along with special edition jerseys, the

A BAN ON AN INDUSTRY THAT SUPPORTS THE SPORT IN SUCH A STRONG WAY WOULD CLEARLY HAVE A HUGE IMPACT

gambling platform made a significant £5,000 donation to the charity in the hope that the message of responsible gambling will resonate with football fans who tune in to watch their teams.

Speaking on the ‘Unpicking the Terms of the UK Gambling Act Review’ webinar panel, hosted by SBC, Chair of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) Brigid Simmonds highlighted a ‘perception issue’ surrounding betting operators and gambling brands’ partnerships with sporting clubs and federations.

“I’m someone who has worked in sport for many years and is absolutely passionate about what sport can do for people through life, but we’ve got to make sure money is available for grassroots sport,” she explained.

“We’ve got £350 million that goes into racing from the industry, £30 to £40 million that goes into other sports, whether it be rugby league, darts, boxing or obviously football. It’s really important that money is used in local communities and it’s used in education. I think when at the heart of all those agreements is safer gambling, it’s absolutely fine.”

One such example of operators backing grassroots projects is Entain Plc’s ‘Pitching In’ investment programme. In December, the betting company launched the ‘Trident Community Foundation’ in conjunction with regional non-league football partners of The Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues.

As the founding partner of the Trident Community Foundation, Entain’s Pitching In programme has donated £150,000 to establish the ‘TCF fund’. The sum will help to distribute community funds for the remainder of the 2020/21 season, with many amateur clubs and organisations struggling to mitigate the financial impact of the COVID-19 crisis, having had core hospitality and ticketing revenue streams turned off. A blanket ban on sports sponsorships would also have a profound impact on the English Football League, which is largely dependent on the £40 million per season that its principal partner Sky Bet contributes to Championship, League One and League Two sides - a sum which has been marked as crucial funding for ‘clubs living on a financial knife-edge’.

In late October, the governing body maintained that betting advertising across its leagues and competitions had been undertaken responsibly - players and clubs across its three tiers raise awareness of and educate the public about safer gambling protocols on a weekly basis, with 70% of betting’s matchday inventory dedicated to responsible messaging.

While proposals to ban gambling sponsorships in the UK are similar to those introduced in Spain earlier this year, the long-term effects of such measures are yet to be fully thought out.

Without the backing of betting operators, responsible gambling and social initiatives may not be financially feasible. If the sports industry was forced to cut ties with the gambling sector, the effect of stripping funding from clubs and leagues could be untold. •

IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT MONEY FROM SPONSORSHIPS IS USED IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND FOR EDUCATION

I THINK WHEN SAFER GAMBLING IS AT THE HEART OF ALL THOSE SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENTS, IT’S ABSOLUTELY FINE

ASSAF DOR, CELLXPERT: REWRITING STANDARDS FOR IGAMING AFFILIATION

SBC Leaders caught up with Cellxpert CEO and Founder Assaf Dor, who took us through some of the key changes to compliance, before explaining why legacy affiliate programmes will lose affiliates if they don’t react to the blocking of third party cookies by Google Chrome browsers.

We concluded by discussing how Cellxpert has navigated the disruption of 2020 before Dor dusted off his crystal ball to predict where the company might be in five years time.

SBC: Can you tell our readers a little bit about Cellxpert?

AD: So Cellxpert is a 12 year old company. Essentially, what we do is we create the digital marketing partnership stack. We allow operators on any scale to run their affiliate programmes and other marketing partnership channels, thereby facilitating all of the steps of the ecosystem.

So from the media distribution side, this includes ad serving, click routing, onboarding of affiliates and other types of partners as well as compensation, payouts, accounting, various API's and other technical aspects such as postback and pixel management. In short, we offer an entire 360 degree solution for operators.

SBC: So what is it that makes Cellxpert stand out from the competition?

AD: First of all, we offer a very technologically advanced product. Our infrastructure is built over a serverless stack rather than cellular architecture, meaning that it is very reliable for our customers. We also place a significant focus on being very much in tune with what the market needs. With that in mind, we release a new version of our product every month to ensure THE NEED TO PROVIDE more transparent data for affiliates and a stronger management layer for operators to mitigate new regulatory requirements drives the vision that Cellxpert has for the ‘industry standard’ of affiliate marketing

that it is meeting the demands of our customers.

In addition, we provide realtime tracking - something which none of our competitors do. We handle postbacks at a level which is unparalleled to any of the other companies in our industry.

We are very much a service oriented company in the sense that we are very motivated towards supporting our customers and making sure that they start off on the right foot.

To do this, we put a substantial amount of effort into making sure that everything within our operation radiates trust and transparency between us and our clients, and between our clients and their affiliates. That’s something that they all recognise very well and are happy to speak about.

While we’re not a young company anymore, we’ve managed to gain the trust of our clients, global companies and publicly listed enterprises from various different sectors. We work with major financial services companies and online services which are using our products.

We think that we bring a lot of knowhow, both in the technology and operational aspects of the industry, but also in the space of regulatory compliance, which has become a key area for focus in the gaming space

WE RELEASE A NEW VERSION OF OUR PRODUCT EVERY MONTH TO ENSURE THAT IT IS MEETING THE DEMANDS OF OUR CUSTOMERS