Responsible Gambling is good for your business, brand, and bottom line

Having a strong responsible gambling program, that is supported by senior management with significant resources, says a lot of good things about your organization. It says that you care about your customers, that you are willing to invest in their well-being, and that you are fulfilling an obligation to the greater good of both gamblers and non-gamblers who might be affected by a friend or family members’ gambling problems.

Supporting a responsible gambling program is not simply dealing with problem gamblers, it supports the general gambling customer by helping him or her have a more positive experience. This can be through simple things like explaining the odds of winning, what randomness means, how to manage your play for an optimal experience. Two of the best programs that work with customers in this way are PlaySmart and GameSense. These programs, while available to assist problem gamblers, are equally concerned about prevention, and enhancing customer experience.

One of the issues of dealing with a potentially dangerous product is the need to gain social license from customers, the general public, and of course regulators. We can trace the importance of this by looking at the evolution of alcohol acceptance, which over the years has gone from something that needed to be controlled to something that gained more acceptance. An organization like the LCBO has created a strong brand equity where customers and the public perceive it to be a socially responsible alcohol retailer.

Unfortunately, many gambling organizations have not achieved that level of acceptance. Ramping up social responsibility programs, and having those ingrained in consumers’ minds, opens the door of permission. In the case of gambling, if the public believes the gambling provider is committed to social responsibility, it gives the provider permission to do more socially responsible marketing. As has been seen in the alcohol industry, permission allows the organization to be innovative, have more opportunities to communicate its products benefits, and ultimately increase the size of its market, which in turn leads to more sales and more profits. This is why we believe very strongly in the benefits of responsible gambling programs!

To find out more about how we can help you formulate winning business strategies, please get in touch with us.

Jim Peterson, Managing Director  jimpeterspm@rsginc.net

Anne Coulter, Managing Director  annecoulter@rsginc.net