In a study conducted by the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), various companies including 888, Gamesys, Buzz Bingo, Betfred, and Genting collaborated to implement and evaluate interventions to promote social responsibility. These interventions were based on practices developed in the Gambling Commission’s Safer Gambling Messaging Project in 2017.
Each operator chose a different approach to implementing the interventions. For instance, 888 introduced two interventions aimed at encouraging deposit limits. One of the interventions was providing the option to set a deposit limit when signing up, which resulted in a significant number of users (10.3%) choosing to set a limit compared to a control group (1.00%). However, it was observed that both users who set limits and those who did not ended up depositing similar amounts. Another intervention by 888 involved showing customers a pop-up message to encourage deposit limits, but this did not lead to statistically significant changes in the limits set.
Gamesys launched a widespread campaign promoting the idea of taking breaks from gambling after winning. This campaign was executed through social media and email, resulting in a substantial increase in users enabling session length reminders. Similarly, Buzz Bingo witnessed a significant rise in players using safer gambling tools after implementing an advertising campaign. However, these changes at Gamesys and Buzz Bingo did not show statistically significant effects on play time or deposits.
Betfred sent a series of intervention messages to their customers via email, text message, and on-site inbox. The BIT found that these messages had no detectable effect on the amount of money deposited by customers or on the length of play time, including during late hours. Only emails from Genting Casino had statistically significant effects on play time, particularly when they included affordability checks for new customers. However, the BIT stated that these changes could be attributed more to selection effects rather than the emails themselves.
The study concluded that while improved interventions can lead to increased adoption of safer gambling tools, they may not necessarily reduce harm. Further research is needed to establish a causal link between increased uptake of safer gambling tools and a reduction in gambling harms in a natural gambling context.
Operators are encouraged to promote these tools, as the study suggests that the impact on revenue is likely small or nonexistent. Additionally, incorporating safer gambling messaging into social media campaigns and sign-up processes can be more effective than solely relying on SMS or email messages. Research agency Revealing Reality emphasized the importance of consistency in safer gambling messaging, ensuring that it is not overshadowed by conflicting sales techniques.
In January, the Behavioural Insights Team published another report that discovered the effectiveness of allowing players to set their own deposit limits. However, similar to the recent study, this research did not find a significant impact on spending based on Bet365 data.
