The recent iGaming NEXT conference in Valetta, Malta, brought up some interesting discussions, including the one regarding Kindred Group’s pledge to bring down the revenue generated from problem gamblers to 0%.
Over the last couple of years, Kindred Group has been on a “Journey to Zero,” a responsible gambling project whose aim is to completely eliminate revenue generation from high-risk players.
That commitment has now come under criticism from Betsson Operations CEO Jasper Svensson, who believes this to be a noble idea, but one that can hardly be attained.
According to NEXT.io, Svensson commented: “It’s like Heineken saying I don’t think anyone will ever become an alcoholic by drinking Heineken. I don’t think that is possible and I don’t find it to be truthful.”
Solving the Problem Gamblers Conundrum
For years now, regulated casino operators worldwide have been faced with the question of what to do with problem gamblers.
While this population has historically been a great source of revenue for different sorts of gambling operations, companies like Betsson and Kindred Group have all been doing their best to turn the page and help problem gamblers to the best of their ability.
A variety of programs and agendas were created by the big igaming operators, all aimed at reducing the prevalence of irresponsible gambling behavior on their platforms. Responsible gambling tools such as self exclusion and bet limits, in combination with marketing campaigns, have been showing results.
However, Svensson rightly points out that it is very difficult to talk about 0% in a truthful way. According to studies, about 2% of the population of most countries are affected by problem gambling, and this population will always be at-risk in jurisdictions where online casinos exist.
On the other hand, he also added that such players would be at an even greater risk if playing with unregulated operators who care less for their customers and for whom the bottom line is an even greater incentive.
“What happens to those that then can’t be a part of what you are doing?” asked Svensson.
“It is much better that they play with regulated operators that pay the tax and try to do something good, instead of being pushed out to the black market,”
Can Kindred Group Succeed in its Journey to Zero?
Kindred Group is one of the biggest igaming companies out there, with brands like Unibet, Red32, and Maria Casino all a part of the Kindred family.
Operating since 1997, the Group has an international presence in markets across all continents, including North America.
In 2021, Kindered Group published its harmful gambling figures and pledged to bring the number down to 0%, starting its “Journey to Zero” campaign.
Since then, the operator has been on a mission to reduce the harmful gambling figures across all its brands, and that mission has been somewhat successful.
In recent quarters, Kindred Group has maintained the revenue generated from high-risk players in the 3 to 3.5% region, compared to over 4% in some quarters of 2021.
Yet, the idea of bringing the number down to 0 seems hard to achieve, and it remains to be seen if the operator can actually bring the plan to fruition.
In either case, the good work operators like Kindred and Betsson have been putting into promoting responsible gambling surely means that fewer players will fall prey to the dangers of problem gambling, while the platforms will continue to thrive and be frequented mostly by social gamblers looking to have a good time.
