Betsson’s ambition: to be the inspiration for safer gambling

14.09.2021

With 60 years’ experience in the gambling industry, it goes without saying that Betsson has a long-term approach towards its business as well as to its relationship with its customers.

In 2020, Betsson developed a more structured approach to sustainability, with a Sustainability framework, goals and KPIs to measure and follow up on our actions and progress. Safer gaming is crucial to building long-term and sustainable customer relationships and is therefore one of Betsson’s most important sustainability issues. It is the players themselves who make their own choices, but as a gaming company, Betsson has a responsibility to support customers so that they can control their gaming and play in a healthy way. In addition, Betsson must identify and always help customers at risk of problem gambling.

Betsson further increased its interaction with players from different customer segments in the past year. The reasons for making contact vary and can be based on the customer’s gaming behaviour or how they interact with customer support, but Betsson also regularly contacts customers who gamble online without them exhibiting risky behaviour. The purpose is to always keep the conversation about the importance of safer gaming going and to ensure that customers are aware of the issue and what tools and support are offered.

As a result of the pandemic, Betsson lowered the threshold for how and when to interact with players in order to increase customer protection and detect early signs of problematic gambling behaviour. The generic messages Betsson uses in its communication with customers were revised so that they would be appropriate in light of the pandemic. In addition to this, a number of pandemic-specific messages were sent to customers to provide increased support on how to control their gambling.

As any serious online gambling company, Betsson has a vast selection of safer gambling tools available for customers and fine-tuned processes and internal tools to pick up on any problems or risks. This is necessary to be able to run a long-term, sustainable business. However, in addition to tools and processes, Betsson feels that what is most important when it comes to safer gambling, is for a company to actually take action when action is required.

Betsson’s dedicated team of Responsible Gaming experts have the competence, experience and mandate required to intervene with customers and act when needed. Betsson believes this professional, empathetic, human interaction and ability to step in and take a decision regarding if a customer should be allowed to continue playing or not, is one of the key elements to running a professional, sustainable online gambling business. As a company, we are proud of all our employees, but in the context of safer gambling and its importance to our business, we are extra appreciative of our talented Responsible Gaming team and the important work they do in helping our customers play in a healthy way.

Another prioritised area for Betsson’s CSR efforts during 2020 was to support local communities facing challenges during the Covid pandemic. Betsson wants to take part in and give back to the communities where we are present, making a positive difference, whilst empowering our employees and encouraging them to take part in the activities. In 2020, Betsson engaged in charitable donations of food and funds for people, families and businesses struggling, as well as supported healthcare workers with meals, medical equipment, and accommodation, to just name a few initiatives.

In 2020, Betsson received several awards for its work with social responsibility and customer care:

• EGR Operator Awards – Customer Services Operator of the Year (for the 5^th consecutive year)
• Gaming Intelligence Awards – Socially Responsible Operator of the Year
• EGR Nordics Award – Customer Services Operator of the Year
• SBC, Sports Betting Community – Socially Responsible Casino of the Year
• EGR Italy awards – Socially Responsible Operator of the Year and Customer Services Operator of the Year

More information:

• Betsson’s Annual and Sustainability Report 2020
• Betsson’s CSR activities

* This article appeared in EGBA’s recently published Sustainability Report 2020/21.