Helping problem gamblers

The Association of British Bookmakers (ABB) were pleased to attend and support the recent BOS Magazine Trade Fair in Wolverhampton, which is for independent bookmakers – who make up a large number of ABB members and are often small, family run businesses.

At this conference 12 months ago we launched the ABB Code for Responsible Gambling, which introduced a range of new measures designed to protect players and minimise harm, and it was good to update attendees on the progress made since the Code was fully implemented in March this year.

We were able to meet with members, and also attract new members, at our exhibition stand. More importantly though we were able to demonstrate for trade fair attendees the type of training the ABB has been providing members with to help them implement the Code across their shop teams.

We ran taster sessions of the social responsibility and customer interaction training programme we have been undertaking with GamCare, which is specifically tailored for our independent members. GamCare provides support, information and advice to anyone suffering through a gambling problem, including operating the National Gambling Helpline which is advertised in all ABB members’ shops as part of the Code, making them an ideal partner to provide training on awareness of problem gambling and responsible gambling interactions – key aspects of the ABB Code - to our members.

What is clear from all the training workshops we have carried out over the last year is that while attendees learn a lot about problem gamblers and how best to interact with them from the expertise of GamCare, they also learn a lot from each other about that they do in their own shops, and it is pleasing to see how much best practice is already taking place on the shop floor.

As the GamCare trainers have noted, there are many examples that show how shop staff take these issues seriously, and that staff have been able to move on from just offering self-exclusion when requested (where customers who may be developing a problem with their gambling can ‘ban’ themselves), as the only option for problem gamblers, to now being far more pro-active and interacting at the first signs of a potential problem.

In conjunction with this work and under other aspects of the Code, the ABB has also commenced testing of our independent members on Think 21 and preventing under age gambling. This an issue where the industry as a whole had made major steps forward in recent years, and we now have over 300 shops taking part in the ABB testing programme. All our testing work is carried out in line with the Gambling Commission requirements, and the results of each wave of testing are provided to the Commission in full.