Data on Responsible Gaming: 2.1% Players Use Self Exclude

A recently published responsible gaming research by SevenJackpots sheds light on the ways the legitimate global online gaming industry "seeks to demonstrate its reliability and social responsibility even when there are no specific requirements by gambling regulators" through responsible gambling policies in order "to stand out when compared to unregulated sites and apps."

Such responsible gambling or RG policies and mechanisms aim to establish a "safer and verified gaming environment" for the broad public while protecting vulnerable players, including children and problem gamblers.

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RG principles also lead to greater transparency in the industry as a whole, including the work of institutions, licensing authorities, external auditors and consumer organisations.

Raising awareness about the potential risks of gambling with real money, including problem gaming and addictions, is a major objective of modern-day responsible gaming policies.

What Tools are Used by RG Policies?

SevenJackpots summarise the most commonly used RG tools at legitimate online casinos and sports betting platforms with the following table.

Self-exclusion and temporary time-out periods or "cool-offs" are the most important of these tools, as they can provide a way for players or their families to get a shorter or longer pause from gambling, including from receiving promotional communications about gambling.

Studies in France have shown that even short one week-long breaks from gambling have a positive long term effect on gamblers' behaviour, even if such cool-offs didn't produce immediate results.

Internal operator data has revealed that short and long term exclusions have been used by 2.5% of players in Brazil: 2.1% have opted for self-exclusion or permanent account closure, and 0.4% have asked for a temporary break. According to the SevenJackpots research team, this percentage corresponds to the problem gambling rate in this non-regulated market.

In Sweden, which is a highly regulated and mature market, the rate of use of self-exclusion is very similar - 80,000 self-excluded gamblers out of 4 million players, or roughly 2%.

Two Thirds of Players Expect Games to be Socially Responsible

An international survey among online gamers has established that a total of 66% of players are more likely to play a game if it is socially responsible, as opposed to 8% who disagreed that such considerations would have a role in their choice of games.

Social responsibility is a broad concept that encompasses in itself everything that Responsible Gambling carries as meaning, plus any other forms of social responsibility that are applicable, including the use of green energy.

Podcast Provides More Insights into Problem Gambling and the Role of RG

Responsible gambling is "one of the most important parts of being able to gamble online," says Felicia Wijkander, Editor-in-Chief, in 3 of the SevenJackpots Podcast.

In this episode dedicated to responsible gambling, she speaks about the different rates of problem gambling measured around the world, where India stands out at 7%.