ABB Launches New Code For Responsible Gambling

The Association of British Bookmakers (ABB) is today launching the betting industry's new code for player protection and responsible gambling.

The new code brings forward a range of measures, voluntarily, that are designed to help minimise gambling related harm.

Each year, 8 million people visit licensed betting outlets, the vast majority of which do so safely and responsibly.

However, there is some public and political concern about the industry.

Launching the first of its kind for the betting shop sector in the world, the Code builds on current best practice and implements a range of new player protection measures.

The ABB intends to create a step change in responsible gambling thinking based around informed choice by adult customers, implementing new consumer protection measures that will make a difference.

• Issuing clearer and more accessible information on how to gamble responsibly and highlighting the sources of help available;

• Providing customers with new tools such as mandatory time and money based reminders, the ability to set spend and time limits on gaming machines and to request machine session data;

• Training staff to detect the signs of potential problem gambling more quickly and how to interact more effectively with those identified; and

• Undertaking more consistent central analysis of data to identify abnormal activity both in specific shops and, where possible, that relating to individual customers.

(CD)