Michael Bay Jørsel. CEO Center for Ludomani Denmark. S&D Group European Parliament, Brussels 14 November 2012

Transcription

1 Michael Bay Jørsel. CEO Center for Ludomani Denmark S&D Group European Parliament, Brussels 14 November 2012

2 My topics today are A brief introduction to Center for Ludomani About online gambling data from Center for Ludomani Advantages and disadvantages from a gambler s perspective State-of-the-art Towards a comprehensive European framework for online gambling

3 About Center for Ludomania Established in 1992; Scandinavia's oldest and largest center for compulsive gamblers and their relatives Facilities in Denmark s three major cities Treated roughly 1,600 clients (gamblers, families, friends and support groups) in 2011 Took in 1999 together with Swedish and Norwegian colleagues the initiative to establish the association SNSUS (The Nordic Association for Information about Gambling) An active and visible player on the Danish political scene and in the media Adheres to own Code of Conduct A member of EASG and ICAA

4 Areas of activity Treatment In- and out-patient treatment, follow-up, special groups for poker players Support groups, courses for relatives, ongoing help and guidance Prevention Wide range of projects, including lectures, articles, books, social media, e.g. In 2008 launched a large-scale educational website targeted at upper secondary school students: In 2010 The Seven Skills of Poker, targeted poker players to stay alert: In 2012 launched a large-scale prevention project targeted at 6 th to 10 th grade students. and In 2012 a large-scale educational project target at young people attending vocational training institutions, and including direct and ongoing councelling and consultancy Research Participated in many research studies, including prevalence studies among young people and adults, project on poker

5 In closing Poker, isn t it a game of chance? No, my dear, not the way I play it!! (W.C. Fields and Mae West in the movie My little Chickadee )

6 Development in online gambling Recorded for clients at Center for Ludomani Year % gambling online Total no. clients

7 Online gambling most popular Slots Scratch Horse race Others Slots Recorded for clients at Center for Ludomani 2011

8 Real gambling vs. virtual gambling Real games Virtual games Recorded for clients at Center for Ludomani 2011

9 Sites visited by Danes Danish sites Foreign sites Recorded for clients at Center for Ludomani 2011

10 Advantages of online gambling Easy access, e.g. laptop, smartphone, ipad Open 24/7 Availability Anonymous Fast games No disturbing elements

11 Disadvantages of online gambling Fast games Money on the Internet doesn t have same signal value as real money Hours are just seconds on the Internet Escapism an out-of-the-body experience Easy to obtain loans on the Internet Alone activity no social control

12 It s a question of Responsible Gambling The overall objective and strategy regarding Responsible Gambling (RG) is to prevent normal gamblers from developing a gambling problem. RG refers to policies and practices designed to prevent and reduce potential problems associated with gambling. These policies and practices incorporate a diverse range of interventions designed to promote: Consumer protection Community/consumer awareness and education Access to effective and professional treatment

13 Informed choice Three fundamental principles in RG: Individuals are personally responsible for their level of participation in gambling Informed choice is a pivotal requirement for RG RG is about giving people the choice to play fair and well-designed (i.e. non-exploitative) games in a secure and supportive environment

14 Focus areas Clear and direct information addressed to Problem Gamblers (PG) about where and how to get easy access to professional help. Free of charge and with respect for the individual. Primary focus on normal gamblers. No raised fingers. Gambling offers entertainment, excitement, suspense and fun. But on the other hand gambling can get out of control for many reasons. So offer responsible gambling tools in order to help players make their own informed decisions. Voluntary for the player to set financial limits as to how much money he is willing to lose. These spending limits need to be set by the player already during registration.

15 RG tools (1) Bulletproof age limit (18 years) Risk of game announcements Restricted methods of payment Include and offer references to a professional treatment center/help line No encouragement of re-gambling Realistic and restrictive play for fun ( in the demo game mode the game play must be identical to the real money gaming payout, hit frequency ) Visible and accessible betting history Self-assessment

16 RG tools (2) Self exclusion connected to easy access to information and help (e.g. building up a helpline with online therapists 24/7) Time spent limits Clock displayed continuously on the gaming site (website clock) Behavioral Tracking System (most likely Playscan or a similar system). Not mandatory for player Operators to launch promotional campaigns at predetermined intervals Overall objective: Monitoring of player behaviour and warnings if behaviour patterns change.

17 RG education & empirical exchange Important collaborators: The gambling industry e.g. the operators, support teams, developers, board members, retailers and staff The media Political stakeholders

18 State-of-the-art in Denmark New legislation in Denmark End of the monopoly ; partial liberalization No revolution, just a quiet start in 2012 Why people gamble predominant factors Number of gambling options Availability Marketing Long-term funding of treatment needed Far more focus on prevention

19 Online gambling plan set by the EU In 2011 the Commission adopted a Green Paper on Online gambling in the Internal Market In 2012 the Commission adopted a working document on Online gambling accompanying the document Towards comprehensive framework for online gambling Five key priority areas: Complying with national regulatory frameworks in EU law Enhancing administrative cooperation and efficient enforcement Protecting consumers and citizens, minors and vulnerable groups Preventing fraud and money laundering Safeguarding the integrity of sports and preventing match-fixing

20 SETTING THE SCENE professional treatment Secure and long-term funding for professional treatment is vital Certification and standardization of at least minimum levels of treatment Quality control and security of outcome of treatment programs SETTING THE SCENE prevention is essential Cross-national prevention project Ongoing, formalized cooperation among professional and acknowledged treatment institutions in Europe A European code of Conduct