32RED downgrades TAB/SE

[Deeplay]

I

32Red is 'old hat' now, a one provider platform (MG) and no withdrawals at weekends. There are dozens of other other casinos listed on CM which provide a higher level of gaming, customer service and responsible gaming.

Think that sums it up , well put.

 

[goatwack]

Well not to worry. 32Red are soon to re-brand having taken all our suggestions and criticisms onboard.

The name will reflect their bond with customers, and how much they listen and implement both positive and negative feedback into improving their service.

They will be called "Zero"

 

[incrediblestuff]

Hate to see these types of threads on one of my top 5 Casino's, but i get it..
However, there may be better Casino's at the moment that outshine in Area's where 32Red used to lead..and all i can say most of those are younger Casino's who did have something to prove, and let's face it, most of it is pure marketing, to earn a player base. With a big enough player base, all Casino's seem to change. One thing that's for sure, is that none (or very very few) of the alternatives you naysayers mention have a track record that is as good and long as 32Red's... I still play my Microgaming session there, and will probably continue to do so for as long as they are in business.

That said, i also don't like most of the changes that were made, but so far have not been personally affected..
Problem Gambling is a whole other thing, and i already said this before, in similar threads, that nowadays not only have there been player scams abusing the laws around SE etc, but also a lot of players that use the facility wrong: it's best to just train yourself to not play back winnings, or in general, train your discipline!

You can say what you want, but there is a link in that age to gamcare, which iirc is a software that blocks all your Gambling sites at a few clicks, so if there is an urgent problem the player could use this and pretty much be done with it?
We have all seen in the past that if a player really does have a problem, nothing will help until he really destroy's himself.
It's sad, but the worst cases pretty much all go that way, and no SE or whatever means can stop it, as they will always find a way, on or offline, to go broke.

So, assuming that these options are here for "responsible" players, that do have a healthy level of restraint, these pending periods should not really form the issue: 12 hours should cover most of the "normal" withdrawal timeframes in most Casino's, and if people consider that fast enough for a withdrawal, then it should be possible to hold your horses and restraint for not reversing, or self excluding..if you know what i mean.

Sure things could be smoother for that process, and maybe they will be improved, but i don't think we are producing much goodwill here anymore on the forums, because of all the damn outrage they are receiving here! Instead a mature discussion with a poll would be more productive. i.m.o. just keep the emotion and drama out of it ffs

Anyway, one more thing is that even if there are competitors that have better SE user friendliness, there's also tons of Casino's with much less player friendly ones..

i still feel 32Red is one of the best Casino's out there, as i am getting my vip treatment, i have pretty close ties to management and some of the other staff, and i trust them more then anyone else in that regard. I liked it better when they were still at their peak in terms of cool features, but as others in this thread have justly stated, they are growing, and they are a business after all.

As long as i am treated right i don't see any reason to stop playing there.

 

[dunover]

Hate to see these types of threads on one of my top 5 Casino's, but i get it..
However, there may be better Casino's at the moment that outshine in Area's where 32Red used to lead..and all i can say most of those are younger Casino's who did have something to prove, and let's face it, most of it is pure marketing, to earn a player base. With a big enough player base, all Casino's seem to change. One thing that's for sure, is that none (or very very few) of the alternatives you naysayers mention have a track record that is as good and long as 32Red's... I still play my Microgaming session there, and will probably continue to do so for as long as they are in business.

That said, i also don't like most of the changes that were made, but so far have not been personally affected..
Problem Gambling is a whole other thing, and i already said this before, in similar threads, that nowadays not only have there been player scams abusing the laws around SE etc, but also a lot of players that use the facility wrong: it's best to just train yourself to not play back winnings, or in general, train your discipline!

Gambling You can say what you want, but there is a link in that age to gamcare, which iirc is a software that blocks all your sites at a few clicks, so if there is an urgent problem the player could use this and pretty much be done with it?
We have all seen in the past that if a player really does have a problem, nothing will help until he really destroy's himself.
It's sad, but the worst cases pretty much all go that way, and no SE or whatever means can stop it, as they will always find a way, on or offline, to go broke.

So, assuming that these options are here for "responsible" players, that do have a healthy level of restraint, these pending periods should not really form the issue: 12 hours should cover most of the "normal" withdrawal timeframes in most Casino's, and if people consider that fast enough for a withdrawal, then it should be possible to hold your horses and restraint for not reversing, or self excluding..if you know what i mean.

Sure things could be smoother for that process, and maybe they will be improved, but i don't think we are producing much goodwill here anymore on the forums, because of all the damn outrage they are receiving here! Instead a mature discussion with a poll would be more productive. i.m.o. just keep the emotion and drama out of it ffs

Anyway, one more thing is that even if there are competitors that have better SE user friendliness, there's also tons of Casino's with much less player friendly ones..

i still feel 32Red is one of the best Casino's out there, as i am getting my vip treatment, i have pretty close ties to management and some of the other staff, and i trust them more then anyone else in that regard. I liked it better when they were still at their peak in terms of cool features, but as others in this thread have justly stated, they are growing, and they are a business after all.

As long as i am treated right i don't see any reason to stop playing there.

Which falls well short of what is required and generally done. A bit like a pub giving a drunk a card with the AA phone number on, and then letting him carry on drinking.

 

[incrediblestuff]

Which falls well short of what is required and generally done. A bit like a pub giving a drunk a card with the AA phone number on, and then letting him carry on drinking.

Seriously? to quote yourself in your typical TwinSpin session: Buuuullshit!
That's nowhere near a valid comparison...keep it real please

 

[Deeplay]

Hate to see these types of threads on one of my top 5 Casino's, but i get it..
However, there may be better Casino's at the moment that outshine in Area's where 32Red used to lead..and all i can say most of those are younger Casino's who did have something to prove, and let's face it, most of it is pure marketing, to earn a player base. With a big enough player base, all Casino's seem to change. One thing that's for sure, is that none (or very very few) of the alternatives you naysayers mention have a track record that is as good and long as 32Red's... I still play my Microgaming session there, and will probably continue to do so for as long as they are in business.

That said, i also don't like most of the changes that were made, but so far have not been personally affected..
Problem Gambling is a whole other thing, and i already said this before, in similar threads, that nowadays not only have there been player scams abusing the laws around SE etc, but also a lot of players that use the facility wrong: it's best to just train yourself to not play back winnings, or in general, train your discipline!

You can say what you want, but there is a link in that age to gamcare, which iirc is a software that blocks all your Gambling sites at a few clicks, so if there is an urgent problem the player could use this and pretty much be done with it?
We have all seen in the past that if a player really does have a problem, nothing will help until he really destroy's himself.
It's sad, but the worst cases pretty much all go that way, and no SE or whatever means can stop it, as they will always find a way, on or offline, to go broke.

So, assuming that these options are here for "responsible" players, that do have a healthy level of restraint, these pending periods should not really form the issue: 12 hours should cover most of the "normal" withdrawal timeframes in most Casino's, and if people consider that fast enough for a withdrawal, then it should be possible to hold your horses and restraint for not reversing, or self excluding..if you know what i mean.

Sure things could be smoother for that process, and maybe they will be improved, but i don't think we are producing much goodwill here anymore on the forums, because of all the damn outrage they are receiving here! Instead a mature discussion with a poll would be more productive. i.m.o. just keep the emotion and drama out of it ffs

Anyway, one more thing is that even if there are competitors that have better SE user friendliness, there's also tons of Casino's with much less player friendly ones..

i still feel 32Red is one of the best Casino's out there, as i am getting my vip treatment, i have pretty close ties to management and some of the other staff, and i trust them more then anyone else in that regard. I liked it better when they were still at their peak in terms of cool features, but as others in this thread have justly stated, they are growing, and they are a business after all.

As long as i am treated right i don't see any reason to stop playing there.

I am genuinely glad you dont ever feel the need to use any RG tools. I mean that. But some do. Me being one of them. I love the game so much that quitting is not an option for me. Tried it and failed miserably. So took another approach to learn how to gamble responsibly. Took me years to master and im happy to say im good with where I am at these days, and enjoy it so much more now. But a vital part of that for me was being able to set DL - and take a break without the brutality of SE. Which I do use at some of my top casinos. Video slots Casumo etc sure Casumo do not have it built it. But chat right there 24/7 and any request I ask e.g kick me out for a week or slash my depo limits is done instantly without even so much as a question as to why.

Video slots - Royal panda etc all built in so they get the majority of my play - why ? because I feel it is a safe environment for me. With 32red all they have now is depo limit that you can still self administer and to be honest can not be arsed going through the many loops just to take a break for a week or 2. So my depo limit is way under the minimum now and will remain that way.

Sure they are a massive business now and rightly will make the choices to ensure they bring in profits. I get that. And they wont miss at all my miserable 20/30 quid deposits ever week or so. They have 1000s of players so will do what they think best to keep growing. Makes sense from a buisness perspective.

Me as a lowly player I make my own choice which is to not partake as they are other places which suit my own personal needs . So they loose me but wont feel it nor care. The bigger issue of social responsibility I will hold of making any further comment on that until they have made a statement here. But I have my own views on that for sure!

 

[Jono777]

Does make me smile in relation to the earlier posts about Mark a page or so back.

Few months ago most members were voting for him in the CM awards, less than 3-4 months on and as mentioned the 'almost' witch hunt and negativity is rife, such short memories, not to mention all the 'good work', special promos, bending over backwards to help us etc is long forgotten.

Remember the bloke does not own 32 Red and it is not him making the decisions that some people do not like, whether right or wrong. Servicing Casino Meister is also 'added extra' and not part of his job description I'm sure!

 

[lockinlove]

Does make me smile in relation to the earlier posts about Mark a page or so back.

Few months ago most members were voting for him in the CM awards, less than 3-4 months on and as mentioned the 'almost' witch hunt and negativity is rife, such short memories, not to mention all the 'good work', special promos, bending over backwards to help us etc is long forgotten.

Remember the bloke does not own 32 Red and it is not him making the decisions that some people do not like, whether right or wrong. Servicing Casino Meister is also 'added extra' and not part of his job description I'm sure!

Exactly. I mean the guy has had alot to do with helping people on a personal level too. Broken computer? Send them a new one. TV robbed? Send them a new one. Quitting smoking? Give them an incentive to help.

Mark shouldnt even be mentioned in this thread unless its positive things.

 

[Harry_BKK]

Exactly. I mean the guy has had alot to do with helping people on a personal level too. Broken computer? Send them a new one. TV robbed? Send them a new one. Quitting smoking? Give them an incentive to help.

Mark shouldnt even be mentioned in this thread unless its positive things.

I think i highlighted many times that this is not about Mark!!!

And i REPEAT once again, it is about 32RED removing the online RG tools, making it much harder for players to activate either a TAB or a SE. Do you find that is a responsible attitude as they proclaim on their website?

The TAB has been widely used, me included, when WD's were in pending stage to avoid any reversals. Hence that will impact a lot of players as the account will not be locked instantly as they have to send now an email to 32RED support.

Further, they removed the online facilities for TAB/SE (which was instant and hence, the most effective option) and are asking now the player to go through hoops and hurdles, all the way offering him to CANCEL his plans, and replaced the online version with forms that need to be completed and returned to 32RED.

The player is now at the mercy of the casino as to when his account will be locked, leaving him/her vulnerable for more losses.

Further, as one poster pointed out, he has been persuaded to keep his account active! That is like giving the drunk, Dunover mentioned, another 3 bottles.

I've posted about this before, I had a £200 WD pending, and i wanted to take a 7day break so that I wouldn't reverse.

I e-mailed and spoke ton live chat and they tried to persuade me to stay, and left my account active for the whole pending period, I think I was 10 days before it was closed.

I've since vacated 32red, every move they make seems to be backwards, and it's quite disheartening considering I've been playing there for many years.

This is what this thread is about, certainly not about talking Mark down.

 

[lockinlove]

I think i highlighted many times that this is not about Mark!!!

My post wasnt directed at you

 

[brianmon]

To some extent, I can see the logic of making Self-exclusion not so straightforward, and that they might be trying to protect customers from themselves.

The vast majority of players don't seem to understand what SE is, and what the implications are.

How many players have misused SE at a particular casino as some sort of protest, in the heat of the moment, after a losing streak, only to regret it afterwards? When they find that they can't reopen the account and that they're also excluded from the other casinos on the same license

If the procedure means clicking on links in the text rather than a big button, then at least there's a chance of customers reading the text, rather than excluding themselves in 2 clicks of a mouse button.

I would assume that self-excluding from 32Red would mean automatic exclusion from all the other casinos on their license, and I'm sure this would be done more efficiently than the likes of EveryMatrix.

The TAB options, on the other hand, SHOULD be more straightforward

 

[dunover]

I think i highlighted many times that this is not about Mark!!!

And i REPEAT once again, it is about 32RED removing the online RG tools, making it much harder for players to activate either a TAB or a SE. Do you find that is a responsible attitude as they proclaim on their website?

The TAB has been widely used, me included, when WD's were in pending stage to avoid any reversals. Hence that will impact a lot of players as the account will not be locked instantly as they have to send now an email to 32RED support.

Further, they removed the online facilities for TAB/SE (which was instant and hence, the most effective option) and are asking now the player to go through hoops and hurdles, all the way offering him to CANCEL his plans, and replaced the online version with forms that need to be completed and returned to 32RED.

The player is now at the mercy of the casino as to when his account will be locked, leaving him/her vulnerable for more losses.

Further, as one poster pointed out, he has been persuaded to keep his account active! That is like giving the drunk, Dunover mentioned, another 3 bottles.



This is what this thread is about, certainly not about talking Mark down.

Agreed, and as I also stated earlier, the poor rep(s) have to take flak for 'business decisions' or errors above their pay grade. They are often in an uncomfortable position, and despite the serious issues raised in this thread it is good to remind ourselves and the readers that we all understand their position and appreciate their contributions and assistance in 'normal' circumstances. A veritable shitstorm he faces here and I certainly empathise with him.

 

[Harry_BKK]

To some extent, I can see the logic of making Self-exclusion not so straightforward, and that they might be trying to protect customers from themselves.

The vast majority of players don't seem to understand what SE is, and what the implications are.

How many players have misused SE at a particular casino as some sort of protest, in the heat of the moment, after a losing streak, only to regret it afterwards? When they find that they can't reopen the account and that they're also excluded from the other casinos on the same license

If the procedure means clicking on links in the text rather than a big button, then at least there's a chance of customers reading the text, rather than excluding themselves in 2 clicks of a mouse button.

I would assume that self-excluding from 32Red would mean automatic exclusion from all the other casinos on their license, and I'm sure this would be done more efficiently than the likes of EveryMatrix.

The TAB options, on the other hand, SHOULD be more straightforward

Nope, don't think so. The post below points much more to the potential reason behind the changes:

I was surprised to see in the William Hill results that player exclusions had such an impact on their profits (or so they claimed).

Several subsequent reports noted that as a surprisingly large negative factor, so perhaps 32Red is making a precautionary move in an attempt to reduce the risk of similar damage?

I'm not saying that is acceptable - just a possible motivation.

 

[brianmon]

Nope, don't think so. The post below points much more to the potential reason behind the changes:

I wonder how many of those exclusions were genuine gambling problem related though.

 

[Harry_BKK]

I wonder how many of those exclusions were genuine gambling problem related though.

Surely not all but that does not justify making it very hard to do a genuine SE's

 

[Jono777]

I think i highlighted many times that this is not about Mark!!!

This is what this thread is about, certainly not about talking Mark down.

No matey your spot on!

As I think I mentioned before, threads spiral out of control and a few posts drifted from the topic of conversation and turn into a free for all and 'Lets get this off my chest' rant. (As they always do 9/10 )

My post was simply to try and eradicate that element of the thread and get this back on track. More aimed at the guilty parties and not your good self!

 

[brianmon]

Surely not all but that does not justify making it very hard to do a genuine SE's

I'm sure WH have always had SE options. So why is it affecting them so much now?

Could it be that those WH exclusions are a consequence of the new UKGC SE regulations? and be from the other sites on their license:-

eurogrand.com
21nova.com
betmostpoker.com
egmc.mobi
joylandcasino.com
macau.williamhill.com
mobile.williamhillcasino.com
prempredictor.williamhillbet.com
prestigecasino.com
skykingscasino.com
williamhill.com
williamhillcasino.com

Where an exclusion from one, has now become an exclusion from all?

A situation where customers and casino alike are not happy

And something 32Red is trying to avoid?

 

[brianmon]

If I was to get pissed off at Dash, and self excluded myself from there, with a couple of mouse clicks, in the heat of the moment.

And then found out my 32Red account had also been closed. I'd be even more pissed off.

32Red loses a customer and I lose an account I want.

So I think there has to be a balance now between making SE too easy and making it too difficult.

We at CM know about all the new UKGC restrictions and consequences. What about the vast majority of 32Red customers ???

 

[Harry_BKK]

If I was to get pissed off at Dash, and self excluded myself from there, with a couple of mouse clicks, in the heat of the moment.

And then found out my 32Red account had also been closed. I'd be even more pissed off.

32Red loses a customer and I lose an account I want.

So I think there has to be a balance now between making SE too easy and making it too difficult.

We at CM know about all the new UKGC restrictions and consequences. What about the vast majority of 32Red customers ???

I still don't see reason enough to remove the online SE/TAB facility.

If you check some of the screenshots in this thread or watch Dunover's video you can see that 32RED advises a few times about the consequences of a SE, hence it is pretty clear to anybody reading it, those parts are in bold letters, very hard to miss.

I agree that a SE should not be made lightly and rushed, most players probably don't. However, if a player has bottomed out completely, which surely happens often enough, then the last thing he/she needs is a complicated procedure where he has to

- go through various pages and logins,
- requesting and completing a form,
- printing, completing and emailing the form back to 32RED
- hope that somebody will pick it up quickly and does the SE

while all the time his/her account stays opened until a 32RED support agent gets it done, which could be another day or even more.


However, the reasons behind taking offline the easy to activate online TAB are clearly commercial, it will be hard to convince me that it is something else. And that because it was done just before the Easter Holidays with up to 5 days pending periods and hence quite a risk of losing proceeds as many players would have done a TAB if they had a winning session early in the weekend.

With the changed procedure it will be up to 32RED as to when the TAB is activated, not the player. And that can take again up to 24hrs, time enough for the weak to reverse and lose the lot.

 

[Steviedoo]

I think we are all mourning the loss of all the things we loved about 32 red and we are now at the angry stage. This thread has become part witch hunt part demand for social justice. not pointing any fingers just an observation.

First came denial now comes the anger. At some point there will be acceptance. And the mourning process for 32 red will be complete.

 

[brianmon]

However, the reasons behind taking offline the easy to activate online TAB are clearly commercial, it will be hard to convince me that it is something else. And that because it was done just before the Easter Holidays with up to 5 days pending periods and hence quite a risk of losing proceeds as many players would have done a TAB if they had a winning session early in the weekend.

With the changed procedure it will be up to 32RED as to when the TAB is activated, not the player. And that can take again up to 24hrs, time enough for the weak to reverse and lose the lot.

I completely agree

 

[dunover]

If I was to get pissed off at Dash, and self excluded myself from there, with a couple of mouse clicks, in the heat of the moment.

And then found out my 32Red account had also been closed. I'd be even more pissed off.

32Red loses a customer and I lose an account I want.

So I think there has to be a balance now between making SE too easy and making it too difficult.

We at CM know about all the new UKGC restrictions and consequences. What about the vast majority of 32Red customers ???

It's not what you or I think though - it's what's required of them under licensing terms. Don't forget to distinguish between TAB and SE here. If you TAB in the heat of the moment it won't affect your other accounts on the license.

I must admit, until I hear otherwise, that Harry's cynicism here may be justified. We KNOW they introduced pending/removed flushing to increase take-back from withdrawals. So savvy players then get round the hideous 3-4 days pending that occurs between Thursday and Sunday by TABing. Now this facility disappears at Easter when w/d's are pending for up to 5 days......mmm....it does look a bit sniffy admittedly.

Being honest here, I would consider that highly unethical for a site like 32red. Renowned for integrity and DELIBERATELY breaching UKGC rules in order to make more profit over Easter??? I don't think so! There has to be a mistake surely?

On the other hand we do know they've intentionally travelled the customer-unfriendly path in the last 2 years by removing player benefits which I don't need to mention again. So it's inevitable people here will believe (and expect!) the worst. For that, regardless of this issue, they have only themselves to blame.

 

[Mark_32Red (retired acct)]

Dear All,

Firstly apologies for the time taken to reply to the thread. It was a long Bank Holiday, as Max mentioned, and I also wanted to ensure we had addressed some of the issues highlighted before commenting.

First and foremost I want to state that 32Red are committed to responsible gambling. Yes, we have made some changes to procedures surrounding the closure of accounts, but by no means are these to the detriment of player protection. We are proud to be licensed in Gibraltar, Italy and the UK and always strive to operate in a manner that is compliant with the responsibilities placed upon us.

We constantly review all aspects of our operating procedures and it was evident that our approach to Self-Exclusion needed to revert to it being a more considered and deliberate action on the part of the player. Unfortunately the existing Self Exclusion facility couldn’t be adapted, so we took the decision to reintroduce our previous process, making it available from within the gaming software and without the need to interact with anybody here in order to complete the process.

When the above change was made, we noticed that the automated Take a Break option was also no longer available, as it was part of the same application. We hadn’t realised this and had to make some fairly quick changes to ensure we could still deal with these requests in the timely manner they deserve. A dedicated email was set up (which is given top priority in the queuing system that sits behind the Help Centre) and the pages amended accordingly.

This thread has highlighted a couple of areas where we could improve this process, we have addressed some of those:

- We have now introduced a dedicated line for players who want to discuss their responsible gaming options. Our trained staff will be monitoring this line 24/7 and will be able to offer players instant changes based on their requirements.
- It was highlighted that an email link doesn’t always work if a player doesn’t have an email client installed. We have now amended this step to show the dedicated email address to enable someone using a web-based client to copy and paste it.

For those concerned about the time taken for an email to be processed, I am able to share with you that the shortest break requested over the busy Bank Holiday weekend was for 1 week – this was actioned within 19 minutes of the request being received.

It is important to remember that Take a Break is a facility that is designed to offer individuals a break so as to control their gaming and is not there, as is implied in some of the posts, as a means to protect a withdrawal from being reversed. If there are players who really can't control themselves when they are in that position, then they should contact me to see if there any alternatives available rather than using a function designed for something else. Also, regular and frequent use of a Take a Break facility could be seen as indicating problematic behaviour; we are required to intervene and interact in such circumstances and that is why it is important that the facility is used as it is intended.

Finally (sorry for the long post), the video showing the steps to live chat in the Viper software highlighted a rather unfriendly player journey which has also been addressed. Thank you for bringing that to our attention.
Regards,

Mark

 

[brianmon]

It's not what you or I think though - it's what's required of them under licensing terms. Don't forget to distinguish between TAB and SE here. If you TAB in the heat of the moment it won't affect your other accounts on the license.

I must admit, until I hear otherwise, that Harry's cynicism here may be justified. We KNOW they introduced pending/removed flushing to increase take-back from withdrawals. So savvy players then get round the hideous 3-4 days pending that occurs between Thursday and Sunday by TABing. Now this facility disappears at Easter when w/d's are pending for up to 5 days......mmm....it does look a bit sniffy admittedly.

Being honest here, I would consider that highly unethical for a site like 32red. Renowned for integrity and DELIBERATELY breaching UKGC rules in order to make more profit over Easter??? I don't think so! There has to be a mistake surely?

On the other hand we do know they've intentionally travelled the customer-unfriendly path in the last 2 years by removing player benefits which I don't need to mention again. So it's inevitable people here will believe (and expect!) the worst. For that, regardless of this issue, they have only themselves to blame.

I am distinguishing between SE and TAB, I've already said that I agree with Harry, that the TAB issue is most probably profit related.

The problem is that a lot of people don't make the distinction and use SE to close an account, or to make a (misguided) FU statement after a losing streak, and then find that other accounts at casinos on the same license are also closed as a consequence.

Or in the case of EveryMatrix, closed after a withdrawal is attempted

 

[Deeplay]

Dear All,

Firstly apologies for the time taken to reply to the thread. It was a long Bank Holiday, as Max mentioned, and I also wanted to ensure we had addressed some of the issues highlighted before commenting.

First and foremost I want to state that 32Red are committed to responsible gambling. Yes, we have made some changes to procedures surrounding the closure of accounts, but by no means are these to the detriment of player protection. We are proud to be licensed in Gibraltar, Italy and the UK and always strive to operate in a manner that is compliant with the responsibilities placed upon us.

We constantly review all aspects of our operating procedures and it was evident that our approach to Self-Exclusion needed to revert to it being a more considered and deliberate action on the part of the player. Unfortunately the existing Self Exclusion facility couldn’t be adapted, so we took the decision to reintroduce our previous process, making it available from within the gaming software and without the need to interact with anybody here in order to complete the process.

When the above change was made, we noticed that the automated Take a Break option was also no longer available, as it was part of the same application. We hadn’t realised this and had to make some fairly quick changes to ensure we could still deal with these requests in the timely manner they deserve. A dedicated email was set up (which is given top priority in the queuing system that sits behind the Help Centre) and the pages amended accordingly.

This thread has highlighted a couple of areas where we could improve this process, we have addressed some of those:

- We have now introduced a dedicated line for players who want to discuss their responsible gaming options. Our trained staff will be monitoring this line 24/7 and will be able to offer players instant changes based on their requirements.
- It was highlighted that an email link doesn’t always work if a player doesn’t have an email client installed. We have now amended this step to show the dedicated email address to enable someone using a web-based client to copy and paste it.

For those concerned about the time taken for an email to be processed, I am able to share with you that the shortest break requested over the busy Bank Holiday weekend was for 1 week – this was actioned within 19 minutes of the request being received.

It is important to remember that Take a Break is a facility that is designed to offer individuals a break so as to control their gaming and is not there, as is implied in some of the posts, as a means to protect a withdrawal from being reversed. If there are players who really can't control themselves when they are in that position, then they should contact me to see if there any alternatives available rather than using a function designed for something else. Also, regular and frequent use of a Take a Break facility could be seen as indicating problematic behaviour; we are required to intervene and interact in such circumstances and that is why it is important that the facility is used as it is intended.

Finally (sorry for the long post), the video showing the steps to live chat in the Viper software highlighted a rather unfriendly player journey which has also been addressed. Thank you for bringing that to our attention.
Regards,

Mark

With full respect to Mark whom this thread has never been about. I dont hold with the reasons why they have removed the SE function. And I personally feel this is driven by financial motives. Rather than remove the facility from allowing a player to be in control without needing to go through customer support because of the reasons given. it would have made more sense to explain in a clear decisive way on the same page exactly the implications of what Self Excluding means. To remove this function with the reasons given mainly "needed to revert to it being a more considered and deliberate action on the part of the player." actually Im sorry nothing here really to consider - if a player wants to SE this should be but a click away. So that to me sounds like corporate white wash. And the above is just corporate talk which in effect could be read as "how do we slow the rate of SE down... by making it marginally harder."

I fully understand my opinion here will more than likely not be popular and again this is not in any way against the rep. Who for the record I feel does a really good job. But it reminds me of when they implemented the pending period rule and the spin they tried to put on it back then - that it was in the interest of the players!

Base reasons are (I feel) to make the process to SE more difficult - some do feel highly embarrassed about approaching someone to speak to or even through email when asking for a such a thing as SE. This is a factor with offline bookies - the need to approach the staff. Many just not do this because of the stigma attached in admitting you have a gaming problem. Not in anyway suggesting 32red would make a person feel that way at all. but it is a fact. I know from the past - the way I would feel about have to ask someone to SE me based on my gambling problems back then.

So im sorry I dont hold with reasons given at all. They have made it harder not easier. As for the TAB well it is again or should be up the player to decide as when they use this. The casino of course can implement any rule they want on this I suppose in theory. Sure a programming glitch caused this to be removed when changing the SE system so in theory - this can then be fixed at some point and should be back in place I would imagine ?

End of the day this company like any other are free to operate in how they feel is best. Does not mean others have to agree and this case Im sorry to say I do not.

Again I know my views on this are probably not popular at all. And 32red has been loved by many for many years but for me those days are long gone. As they tighten the way they do things which is increasingly more and more player unfriendly.