Poll results: Universal opt-out would improve image of gambling
Two-fifths of respondents to this week's poll say tighter player protection measures needed while 39% believe nothing more needs to be done
Strengthening consumer protection measures such as implementing a universal opt-out scheme will help the online gambling industry improve its image among the wider public, according to 40% of respondents to this week’s eGaming Review poll.
After four of the UK’s largest online gaming operators recently united to form self-regulatory body The Senet Group to promote responsible gambling best practice, eGR asked what more the industry could do to improve its public perception.
And 40% of voters said the industry should commit to increased player protection measures, such as the introduction of a universal opt-out scheme which would enable problem gamblers to shut-off access to online accounts at the click of a button.
As a middle ground, 16% agreed that stopping all television advertising during daytime ours would go some way to improving the industry’s image, while 5% thought placing tighter restrictions on players’ deposits and stakes would help.
However, 39% of respondents said they believed the industry’s image is fine and that nothing more needs to be done, illustrated by the growth of online gambling into a more widely accepted recreational pastime.
With a UK parliamentary election scheduled for next May, the formation of the Senet Group was seen by many as an attempt by William Hill, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power and Gala Coral to appease the growing anti-gambling movement stemming from the country’s media organisations and leading political parties.
However, some observers have accused the Senet Group’s measures of not going far enough while self-regulatory bodies can often be accused of, rightly or wrongly, looking after vested interests.
Remote Gaming Association chief executive Clive Hawkswood recently told eGR that operators had to be seen to be doing more in the field of consumer protection with self-regulatory measures set to become a feature of the industry over the coming months.
“We need to keep identifying and presenting measures that will put us ahead of the game and which, in turn, will provide some comfort to opinion formers or at least will weaken any objections they might have towards us,” Hawkswood said.