Kindred Aim For Zero Percent Revenue From Harmful Gambling

Kindred Group, the online gambling operator has set out a plan to ensure none of its revenues come from problem gamblers by 2023, the company that operates brands such as 32Red, Maria Casino and Unibet have released a programme along with statistics showing how it derives its income and the target to reduce revenues from harmful gambling.

Below is the full announcement and how the company aim to achieve their goal:

For many years, Kindred Group has pursued to providing a safe gambling experience, with the ambition that zero per cent of the revenue should come from harmful gambling by 2023. Kindred are the first gambling operator to report the share of revenue that is derived from harmful gambling. The figure will be shared together with a measurement of the efficiency of Kindred’s efforts to help detected customers regain control of their gambling. By providing these figures, Kindred wants to increase knowledge and transparency about the company’s sustainability work and contribute to a fact-based dialogue about harmful gambling with decision-makers and other stakeholders.

Providing a safe gambling experience is a central issue for Kindred Group, and approximately 98 per cent of the players on the company’s platforms gamble responsibly. As a next step in Kindred’s sustainability work, the company will from now on report the share of revenue that is derived from harmful gambling. The figure will be shared together with the achieved improvement effects from interventions that helps detected customers return to healthier gambling.

“Our ambition is that zero per cent of our share of revenue should come from harmful gambling, which we have worked towards for several years. We constantly strive to become even better at identifying players that exhibit risky gambling behaviour and guide them back to healthier gambling habits. We want gambling to be simple and enjoyable for everyone. Reducing harmful gambling in society is a long-term process which requires a fact-based, open, and constructive dialogue, not least with decision-makers. We want to contribute to that. The most important thing decision-makers can do right now is to reduce the flight to unlicensed gambling operators, who fail to provide players with any safety measures whatsoever. The so called channelisation must increase.”, says Henrik Tjärnström, CEO Kindred Group.

Several years ago, Kindred developed a safer gambling programme to achieve the zero per cent ambition by 2023. Key elements include:

• Increased precision: Quicker and more accurate identification of potentially harmful gambling.
• Improve support tools: Encourage and lead players who exhibit risky behaviours back towards healthier gambling.
• Clearer communication: Implement automated communication with players to ensure rapid intervention when needed.

“In order to evaluate our own sustainability work and to counteract harmful gambling, we continuously measure how our efforts contribute to healthier gambling together with how much of our revenue that comes from harmful gambling. We want to share these figures to increase the understanding of our long-term sustainability work and contribute to a safer gambling experience. Local market regulation is an important part to achieve this.”, continues Henrik Tjärnström.

Kindred’s figures on revenue from harmful gambling will be updated quarterly and published on Kindred Group’s website together with a measurement of the effectiveness of the sustainability work. To read more, visit: www.kindredgroup.com/zero.

Kindred has built a system that actively works long-term to inform, identify, and prevent players from developing harmful gambling habits. A crucial part of this are market regulations that have increase the opportunity to collectively create a safer environment for players. In short, it is structured as follows: On Kindred’s platforms, in communication with customers, and through sponsorship and marketing channels, Kindred regularly informs customers about various control tools and the importance of playing responsibly. This is to remind the customer to maintain a healthy gambling behaviour. When a player deviates from his or her normal playing behaviour, it is flagged in Kindred’s identification system, PS-EDS (Player Safety Early Detection System). The player receives information via the platform about tools that can be activated to limit his or her gambling. For example, setting a budget, a time limit, or taking a shorter or longer break in the game with the aim of “encouraging” the player towards a healthier gambling. If that does not help, the player is contacted via email, text message, or phone. In 2020 Kindred conducted approximately 55,000 care calls annually to inform players about how they can gamble safely and responsibly, and how they can introduce restrictions to their own gambling. 75.7% of Kindred’s detected players displayed a healthier gambling behaviour after being in contact with Kindred’s Responsible Gambling team. Kindred’s measurement method and action programme are based on leading research on harmful gambling. To read more, please visit: www.kindredgroup.com/sustainability