MGA to work on Unified Self Exclusion System

[MaltesePlayer]

Thoughts and opinions on this article? Think they will be able to set it up smoother and more efficiently than GamStop?

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[Harry_BKK]

Any universal system is welcome but all, including GamStop, will be half-baked solutions as long as players can sign-up with non-MGA and non- UKGC casinos and the universal exclusion is not accompanied by stronger support systems that will ultimately help the addict to get his additction treated or at least under control.

A mere link to GambleAware on the sites won't do much.

Universal exclusion schemes alone will drive the desperate addicts into the open arms of Curacao operators or even worse.

 

[MaltesePlayer]

True but unfortunately it's a double edged sword.. Don't offer the option and you're essentially not doing anything to stop Problem Gamblers.. Do it and you're turning them towards unethical casinos.

 

[Harry_BKK]

True but unfortunately it's a double edged sword.. Don't offer the option and you're essentially not doing anything to stop Problem Gamblers.. Do it and you're turning them towards unethical casinos.

You have to start somewhere and having an universal SE system is a step in the right direction.

Even without it though, the question remains as to what will be the next step after a SE? SE's are like giving a pain killer to a cancer patient. It alleviates the problem for the moment but doesn't cure the illness, and that's what an addiction actually is. The current support systems do not jump into action until a player is actively searching for help and that is for me the weakest link.

I did for a few years voluntary work in an addiction help organization and you wouldn't believe the dramas and endless stories of misery that are happening every day. And that was just one location. Most addicts only make the step when they are below rock-bottom. Rock-bottom is mostly not enough to have a severe addict opening the door at a help center. And that is the point where a joint "universal SE"coupled with improved support systems could really make a difference. Having just the first part will not make much difference from where we are today.

Personally, I see the young generations and adolescents, who grow up in today's sparkling online world, as the most prone to slip into addiction at a very young age, which can prove devastating for their entire life. A universal SE will rarely change the 50-year old punter. Hence, why I am convinced that a universal SE must be accompanied by better support systems that will actively help when a player has reached the point where only a SE will block him from regularly blowing his wages + loans/money from relatives & friends etc.

 

[slotter999]

@Harry_BKK Is there any part of you which feels that the root of the problem is gambling itself? Or perhaps certain forms of gambling i.e. slot machines?

Using your pain killer / cancer analogy - prevention is better than cure right? So how do you prevent problem gambling if the product itself is the thing which drives that problem behaviour?

@MaltesePlayer I think it's a good idea, however, implementing something like across all EU states would be horrifically complex. My guess is most countries will eventually license themselves up and this will then be implemented on a per country basis.

 

[Harry_BKK]

@Harry_BKK Is there any part of you which feels that the root of the problem is gambling itself? Or perhaps certain forms of gambling i.e. slot machines?

Using your pain killer / cancer analogy - prevention is better than cure right? So how do you prevent problem gambling if the product itself is the thing which drives that problem behaviour?

@MaltesePlayer I think it's a good idea, however, implementing something like across all EU states would be horrifically complex. My guess is most countries will eventually license themselves up and this will then be implemented on a per country basis.

Of course gambling is the problem, no matter which form. Unfortunately, the sense of excitement or quest for victory/success and a few other adrenaline inducing things are imprinted in our DNA, hence, getting rid of them is not really possible as most are important for our survival.

Prevention is surely what would help in the long term, and it has to be done at a very young age. Raising awareness is something parents can do, aided by schools adding lessons/workshops etc.... Yeah, I know it all sounds very "naive" but gambling has to be put on the same level with alcohol and drugs. We preach to our kids that smoking and drinking is not good, but I have yet too hear parents saying something similar about gambling, mostly because we ourselves like our own little punts.

The big question is how do you accomplish an effective prevention when online gambling is incorporated in virtually every application people/kids install on their phones/iPads/computers. FB's for fun games is the best example. Will we restrict our kids from playing computer games or registering a FB account? Online gaming has only taken off in the last few years, mobile gaming only in the last 2 years...so there is certainly much more to come.

It won't be an easy road to achieve more awareness, that is sure. But as I said the universal SE is the first step in the right direction as it helps when raising awareness has not worked out.

 

[slotter999]

@Harry_BKK It is indeed a tough and there really is no right or wrong answer. But in regards to gambling - slot machines occupy a fairly unique spot in regards to problem gambling / addiction. Dr Mark Griffiths who is probably the leading authority on addiction in the UK says that gambling itself is not the problem but the form of gambling. Once you make something easily accessible and high frequency that is what causes the problem. This is why we don't talk about problem gamblers in regards to the national lottery etc.

There is also a fantastic book called addiction by design which delves deep into slot machine design and looks at the psychology tricks behind their design i.e. the near miss etc. Again, none of this is chance and exploits some fairly basic aspects of human behaviour but the behaviours we see in regards to problem gambling are intentional outcomes.

I am personally conflicted by slot machines. It is by far my favourite form of gambling. But I know from personal experience that they can cause you to lose your mind. All the fluff like reality checks, a gamcare link and limiting autoplay is pointless in my opinion because the person who needs that help will ultimately ignore it. My point is maybe the slot product is the problem but the remedy might be so extreme as to destroy the thing which makes a slot a slot. I'm waffling a bit now but hopefully you get the jist of what I'm saying.

One more question for you - can you ever conceive a time when you stop playing slot machines?