Sustainable Gambling Conference

So that wraps up our day at FDJ United's Sustainable Gambling Conference in Brussels. Kudos to the organisers and a huge thank you to the interviewees who joined us for the Huddle, as well as all today's panellists. Nils signs off by discussing the black market, which alongside AI is by far this industry's most-discussed topic. Much was said today and, I can genuinely say, much learned. Time for the industry to take those learnings forward - even if some challenging regulatory environments might be to come. A la prochaine!

Nils gives a nod to the lived experience panel, but also praises Dr Mary Aiken's keynote speech (although he admits it gave us more questions than answers)! Personally, I would also highlight the lived experience panel as my favourite of the day.

Anden discusses the complex nature of sustainability at a topic. Payments, he says, could be seen as a missing piece of the puzzle in some ways. He does suggest we are missing one key group today... the politicians who make policies for our sector. And we need to do more as a group to engage them.

In a welcome change of pace, the audience is now taking part in a discussion and answer session - and being asked to tell the room how AI can be implemented in gambling. Us included...

MORE BLACK-MARKET DISCUSSIONS Anders Dorph, Director of the Danish Gambling Authority, emphasises the need for a clear labelling scheme, a policy that "does work." In Denmark, he says, this helps distinguish a licensed operator from an illegal one. Phil Ridgwell, Everett Sky CEO, puts more onus on the role of customer-facing staff in taking players on a journey. Neil Banbury, MD OBG Commercial and Marketing at FDJ United, makes an interesting point. It's one heavily skewed towards the industry but he warns: "You can't just offer players safety with no appeal."

Sam Ross, Senior Project Lead, Group Strategy at FSJ United, shows us a slide that suggests 59% of players associate unlicensed sites with the black market, but 52% associate licensed sites. That's a difference of just 7% and a very thin line when making a distinction. Illegal operators are able to utilise better bonuses, fewer play disruptions and fewer 'restrictive' RG tools. One player is quoted as saying they want to feel "protected" but not "policed."

On the black market... Chairman of the KSA Executive Board Michel Groothuizen says fining the black market doesn't work. "We just don't get the money." Together with the industry, however, the KSA Chair says there is work being done to 'disconnect' black-market companies from their customers.

Slots are the most popular category among 18-25-year-olds. Game shows are also increasing, and the risk signals and markers of harm are noteworthy here. Poker tournaments rank highly, too, but esports is quite low on the chart. Surprising?

We conclude our second talk/panel by emphasising the need to talk and educate more about gambling. AI will assist methods that can help with gambling harms, but the importance of lived experience cannot be underplayed.

The value of investment is highlighted (with a slight apology from Craig Conforth, as investment obviously costs). A nod also, though, to the 2,000 members of the FDJ United network Craig has worked with at EPIC Global Solutions. Adam Kirstein Reutersward discusses the education initiatives run by FDJ that help inform younger people about the process of gambling. This addresses a low percentage of people who know about gambling, compared to 100% awareness of alcohol and smoking.

What could help as an 'early intervention?' Jack Metcalfe recalls losing £5,000 ($6,580) in one day when he turned 18. A phone call would have helped, he says. There was never consistent intervention; intervention helps by building a bond with a player. Something as simple as the same person calling each time.

AI enters the conversation again, with its importance discussed. The ability to use huge volumes of data is highlighted as the key advacantage. But AI can't necessarily tell you why a certain gambler behaved in a certain way. Indeed, AI working in tandem with lived experience could be a far more powerful tool.

Craig Conforth says he tries not to focus on the 'biggest worry' when asked about the current generation. But peer pressure is mentioned as a factor for young people potentially affected by harmful behaviour. Education is put forward as a combatant to this. Younger children now can name more gambling operators than ever, through social media and, again, as a result of peer pressure. Importantly, though, restricting something is not seen as an effective tool.

Credit to the Sustainable Gambling Conference here for this lived experience panel. There is no denial that gambling harms exist; Dr Maris Catania is moderating a very open and honest discussion.

Craig Conforth kicks off by highlighting that friction has actually decreased with time, given the ease of online betting versus entering a shop in the past. Adam Kirstein Reutersward agrees that the 'scary part' today is the speed of gambling and technology. The lived experience is hugely emphasised in this panel, as the speakers have direct personal experience. Jack Metcalfe concludes the introductions by reflecting on being 'mesmerised' by the amount of screens available at a shop when he was 16. The online revolution then took over when he was 17/18.

Dr Aiken discusses manipulative vs agentic AI. She has written books on the topic in the past. An informative first talk has addressed a number of issues that overlap with gambling but also involve the wider world. Later panels will be more gambling specific, but Dr Aiken has offered some interesting thoughts, and asked some very direct questions!

AI has come up in virtually every interview this year... but what about 'dark' AI? Plenty of thought-provoking topics in our first panel here.

We live in the world of the 'scroll economy.' So how does behaviour shift online? There is a compliance paradox that regulation of the surface web does not address the dark web.

The rise of 'safety tech' as a concept is, naturally, helpful to the gambling sector. But the availability of technology to younger children (in the overall world, not gambling-specific), poses a challenge.

Dr Aiken explores the idea that sustainable product design must, first and foremost, acknowledge that people behave far differently online to how they might in a physical space. She adds that no individual harm or risk can be placed into a hierarchy above another.

After an interactive audience poll, we discover the majority of our attendees today are operators.

Welcome all! We are almost ready to go live at the Sustainable Gambling Conference, where FDJ United Chair & CEO Stèphane Pallez will be giving her introductory remarks.