888 Reports 23% Increase in Players Using RG Tools in 2021

The online gambling operator announced this as its Control Centre, designed to help players manage their gambling habits, rolls out in the Italian market.
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By
May 27, 2022

At 888, we recognize the need to use our proprietary technology to protect customers and promote safer play.888 has revealed that, in 2021 — a year after launching its responsible gambling software dubbed the Control Centre — it saw an increase of players using responsible gambling (RG) tools on its site go up by 23%.

The news comes as 888’s Control Centre rolls out in the Italian market for the first time.

“I am delighted to see The Control Centre rolled out in another of our core markets,” Andrew Anthony, VP, Customer Safety & Due Diligence at 888 said via press release. “At 888, we recognize the need to use our proprietary technology to protect customers and promote safer play. By giving customers transparent information about their gambling activity in real-time, we continue to ensure that safer gambling remains at the heart of the 888 customer experience.”

In addition, 888 revealed that, of those players who accessed the Control Centre in 2021, 20% of those players were more likely to amend their Deposit Limits. The company went on to say that 102% of those players accessing the Control Centre were also more likely to use the “Take A Break” tool — which allows players to step away from the action.

The rationale behind The Control Centre is to give players a one-stop-responsible-gambling-shop — giving players the data and tools they need to gamble within their means.

By giving customers transparent information about their gambling activity in real-time, we continue to ensure that safer gambling remains at the heart of the 888 customer experience.The Control Centre first rolled out in the UK market in 2020 and allows players to see their balance, deposits, and withdrawals in a 24-hour, 7-day, or 90-day view. This helps players paint a picture of how much time and money they are spending and losing on the site at any given time.

The Control Centre is also home to 888’s responsible gambling tools which can be finessed to manage the amount of time and money a player spends on the site.

The roll out of The Control Centre was also notable, as it came after the UKGC found significant responsible gambling failings at the site, and issued a whopping £9.4 million fine.

At the time, 888 was found to have failed in its own social responsibility and money laundering measures, especially during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic where severe breaches in these policies were found.

In total, 888 will have paid £17.2 million in fines due to its lapses in implementing proper responsible gambling policies in the past three years.

As well as the rollout of the Control Centre, 888 confirmed that it has invested in a compliance team, improved its anti-money laundering policies, and reduced the thresholds of 888’s in-house customer behavior monitoring technology that trigger alerts and customer interactions when problem gambling is detected.

“We recognize our responsibility to make gambling safer and regret that previous implementation of our processes failed to meet required standards in the UK,” Itai Pazner, CEO of 888 holdings said via press release at the time the fine was announced. “We accept the findings of the UKGC’s investigation of some of 888’s former policies and procedures and have taken immediate appropriate action to improve and address the failings.”

The fact that more customers are now using the Control Centre is a really positive sign that 888 is empowering its customer base to keep control of their time and money.

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