United Kingdom's Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) announced recently that they had cleared all of the hurdles for the 'Single Customer View' trial launch, a new data-sharing scheme aimed to determine those who are most at risk of gambling harm.
The trial's goal, which GAMSTOP will run, will be to identify gamblers at risk of harm and ensure they are protected across operators.
Assessing the Risks
According to the BGC, "the scheme will prevent customers who have exhibited signs of severe problem gambling, or as being at a high risk, from simply moving to another operator" before adequate interventions have taken place.
For some players, the BGC said, this may mean new safeguards, while for others, it may mean preventing them from betting with other operators altogether. The approach will ensure that there is no infringement on the personal data of people who don't want their data shared in any kind of nationwide database.
"I am delighted with the commitment from BGC members and the significant financial investment they are undertaking to get on with delivering this scheme quickly," said Wes Himes, Executive Director for Standards and Innovation for the Betting and Gaming Council.
Dispelling Data Sharing Concerns
Although the trial has been pushed back for almost two years due to data sharing concerns voiced by the Information Commissioner's Office, the BGC said that “we are moving at pace to ensure that we are in a position to test the system by the end of March this year”.
The trial scheme will be regulated by a strict code of conduct and will set out guidelines on operators' engagement with these customers and rules on how this information can be used further, the BGC pointed out.
