Customer engagement is a hot topic in a whole range of industries, especially those that are highly competitive and where a better perception of customer preferences can have a direct and dramatic impact on market share. With that in mind, it should come as little surprise that a new player’s panel, in which players get a voice in discussing gambling-related matters with the key stakeholders in the industry, has been brought into existence by Entain, the holding company behind such brands as Ladbrokes, Coral, PartyPoker and Gala Bingo.
Membership of the panel is open to customers from any of Entain’s various brands and gives the people who really matter, and who know the landscape best, the opportunity to engage with decision-makers and even to influence legislative policy in the UK. It is placing the influence where it needs to be, but it could also prove to be shrewd strategic thinking on the part of the FTSE-100 listed company.
Meeting the regulators head-on
It is surely no coincidence that the Players Panel has been formed just weeks after the UK Government commenced a three-month review of the UK Gambling Act. This is a 2005 Act of Parliament that controls all forms of betting, from casino games to sports betting and whether online or at land-based facilities.
The review will look at such aspects as maximum stakes, lines of credit and casino advertising. These are all vital topics that need to be managed to protect customers, but they are also areas that can have a crippling effect on casino revenues if they are controlled too tightly.
Businesses like Entain do, of course, have a voice in these sorts of consultations, but government ministers are well aware that they also have a vested interest. By inviting the views of customers who gamble responsibly, Entain is not only providing an outlet for people to make their voices heard. It is also likely to get credibility and validation to support a lighter-touch approach to regulation.
Freedom of choice
After all, these are the kinds of people who are capable of setting their own limits, and who are likely to be interested in new promotions and the like. In other words, they would have little appetite for more restrictions on how much they can wager or on advertising rules. Comments from a couple of panel members who have spoken to reporters certainly support this perspective.
For example, Elizabeth, a Health and Safety professional from Walsall, knows more about risk management and mitigation than most due to the nature of her work. Yet even she spoke about getting “the right balance” to ensure that those who are vulnerable are protected but that freedom of choice and personal responsibility remain the underlying foundations of the Act.
Another panellist, Ken, compared his online casino gaming with other hobbies or leisure pursuits that people might follow, such as going to the cinema or pub, at least when such things are open. He said his annual weekly loss equates approximately to the price of two pints of beer and added “I believe I get good value for money.”
Gathering evidence
Clearly, the views of people like Elizabeth and Ken support the kind of stance that the casino operators would like to see the government adopt. Soft-touch, minimal intervention, voluntary staking limits and no further restrictions on advertising. But don’t think Entain is simply stuffing the panel with individuals who will echo their own narrative.
For one thing, joining the panel is entirely on a voluntary basis, and there is neither financial cost nor reward entailed in taking part. For another, though, the panellist views broadly echo the sentiments expressed in a survey of more than 1,700 Entain customers that was commissioned last year.
Entain has already presented the results of that player poll to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. In it, around three quarters said they see gambling as a “normal leisure activity,” and more than 70 per cent of respondents were in favour of voluntary betting limits that are set by the players themselves.
Staying relevant
There are also broader factors in play that could have damaging consequences for the UK’s gambling industry. With Brexit still so fresh in people’s minds, it is easy to adopt the “island mentality,” but Entain warns that this is a dangerous mindset. The internet has no conception of national borders, and there are numerous offshore operators offering tempting deals to UK casino fans.
Entain’s survey found that almost half of those who gamble would seriously consider switching to an offshore provider if UK ones became more burdensome. Around 30 per cent said they already had some experience of overseas gambling platforms.
Clearly, there is a tightrope to be walked here in getting the regulation at the right level. Entain’s Player’s Panel is an important tool in ensuring the appropriate voices are heard.