The debate began with André Gelfi, Director and President of the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR), explaining all the aspects that the issue of responsible gaming can achieve. “The institute understands that responsible gaming is basically not related to the dynamics of treating compulsion. Communication has a lot to do with responsible gaming. We have within the institute the beginning of a work that has the mission of dealing responsibly with the different interactions within the chain so that we are actually working in a sustainable place.”
Then, Ricardo Magri, Director of the Brazilian Company to Support Compulsivity (EBAC), highlighted the importance of responsible gaming programs to control excesses in betting and that operators can be inspired by what is done abroad without a regulator observing.
“We need to have control to reverse the risk. It is not necessary to have a regulatory body in order to have control, this is a counterpoint, there was a panel yesterday on the same topic, I will use the same analogy: the financial market itself interprets and adopts control measures that other countries have in their regulated financial markets even without having the same imposition for it to be controlled in the same way,” commented Magri.
“So you don't necessarily need to have the regulatory body to have control. Regulators are very important to impose this, monitor, guide and reinforce this condition, but companies that are aware should have this in the booklet.”
Luiz Gustavo Zonca, iGaming Consultant, highlighted the role of the press in this process and in what the operators themselves have contributed. “With this fair, with the problems, I repeat, with handling, with the growth of the market, the industry is also helping the press to understand what this sector is all about. So when there was the issue three weeks ago, when asked in an interview, the first question that came up was that the bookmaker was blamed. I explained that no, the bookmaker is the victim. So also the education of an entire sector that is not used to what is happening here helps the information to flow better.”
Finally, Ricardo Magri highlighted the importance of the industry taking this debate on responsible gaming beyond professionals working in the market. “Responsible gaming, relationship with society are things that have an eye on public opinion and it is difficult for us to find comfort among ourselves. We have to take care of this speech. We have to, in the absence of a regulator, self-regulate, but also educate.”
“What I also find very interesting are the internal programs for your own employees. Everyone is an agent of this responsible gaming practice. So, we talk a lot about the company's behavior outside, how to welcome a problem that comes from outside, but the part of taking care of its own is a required step even for serious programs. The subject is important because it sheds a very good light on our industry outside, where it is not as comfortable as it is among us,” Magri concluded.
Source: GMB
