‘The VIP managers of the iGaming industry should do more to make sure that players are safe’

According to Soft2Bet Head of VIP, Ivan Lorinkov, "the VIP managers of the iGaming industry should do more to make sure that players are safe".

Speaking during an interview with the Malta Gaming Authority-licensed company, Mr Loninkov was asked how he advocates for an entertaining gambling experience, without converting it into an addiction.

He explained that "years of background in improving player protection have guided us to treating customers as human beings rather than simply as a profit source.

"Gambling should be all about entertainment, relaxation, and fun. For that reason, our team diligently aims to assure that clients are approached with care and are completely shielded from the threats of problematic behaviour".

Discussing some of the red flags he watches out for, he stated that there are a "broad variety of possible indications", and that it is important that should a player's actions get flagged, the response is also effective.

"Warning signals should chime if a player is disbursing more than they can actually bear, and it's not sufficient to only make them aware of responsible gaming tools that are available. Instead, they should be actively encouraged to implement them by the customer service agents", he commented.

Mr Lorinkov also welcomed the continuing rise in the use of real-time data to defy excessive gambling. According to him, executing methods that can recognise flags "at an initial phase of the customer lifecycle is vital to both customers and operators".

Discussing the impact of the pandemic on the wider iGaming industry, Mr Lorinkov acknowledged that the spread of the virus, and subsequent lockdowns have seen a "notable quantity" of physical, brick-and-mortar and local outlets shut for an elongated time, prompting a boost in activity for the virtual sector.

"With an uptick in the audience comes larger responsibility", he said. "Individuals have the right to be approached with delicacy and though, and there is no cause for this not to be practiced in the iGaming industry".