Responsible gambling software company Neccton have embraced the recently announced changes to Gambling Commission rules for UK operators. The new rules come into play in September, with a set of regulatory requirements that Neccton customers already enjoy.
Gambling Commission Chief Executive, Andrew Rhodes, said: “Time and time again our enforcement cases show that some operators are still not doing enough to prevent gambling harm. These new rules, developed following an extensive consultation, make our expectations even more explicit.
“We expect operators to identify and tackle gambling harms with fast, proportionate and effective action and we will not hesitate to take tough action on operators who fail to do so.”
From September 12th online operators in the UK are required to monitor a list of relevant indicators which include customer spend, patterns of spend, time playing, use of gambling management tools, and more. This monitoring should then enable the operator to flag indicators of harm and take action in ‘a timely manner’, plus have automated processes in place for strong indicators of harm.
Neccton customers already have all of these safeguards in place as a result of using the company’s world-renowned mentor software. mentor tracks possible problematic gambling behaviour using real-time data analysis and works to help both players and operators to identify potential issues early. The tool recognises triggers such as a significant increase in deposit frequency, and alerts the operator and directly contacts the player, helping the end user make better-informed decisions.
mentor is also already set up to contact players directly, and on a personal level; Dr. Michael Auer’s academic research has proven that this is the most effective way to reach out to people when they are particularly vulnerable and at the greatest risk of harm. Such interaction is only possible if you are able to track the markers of harm in real time and part of mentor’s effectiveness is thanks to its Cloud-based approach; real-time data analysis on this level is only possible when you can harness unlimited computing power on demand.
In fact, it is becoming increasingly common for regulators worldwide to reference Neccton’s research; recently Germany implemented a regulatory change that meant operators had to use software using an academic algorithm to identify problem gambling patterns – and again, Neccton customers were ahead of the curve.
This is at least in part thanks to its director and head of development, Dr Michael Auer. Dr Auer has been at the forefront of problem gambling research for many years. Thanks to Dr Auer’s skills, research and guidance, the company’s approach and ability is quite unique in its field.
Dr Auer said: “We are delighted that our research of the last 15 years is being recognized by regulatory bodies, as this means player protection is really being taken seriously at the right level. “Our research and hard work are vindicated by such recognition, and licence holders in the UK will now meet those new requirements by default if they are working with us. We are definitely ahead of the curve when it comes to Social Responsibility Code 3.4.3.”
mentor also includes modules for Anti–Money Laundering, Fraud and aCRM so Neccton’s customers can solve many issues with a single supplier. The company has customers worldwide in the United States and Canada, right across Europe (Netherlands, Germany, UK, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and more). Among neccton’s customers are Rush Street Interactive, Greentube, SkillOnNet, ComeOn Group, Casumo and many more. Numerous notable lottery operators such as The Dutch Lottery, Lotto Hessen, Atlantic Lottery Corporation, and Lotto New Zealand are part of Neccton’s customer roster.