New CEO of Sky Betting & Gaming says the industry has a moral obligation to use data to prevent problem gambling developing.
CEO of Sky Betting & Gaming, Ian Proctor, says the betting industry has a moral obligation to use data and tech to help protect vulnerable customers.
In an interview with the Yorkshire Evening Post, Proctor, who as confirmed as new CEO earlier this month, after the $4.7bn (£3.6bn/€4bn) takeover by The Stars Group, acknowledged that the gambling sector “is not the flavour of the month” and said that a shift in attitudes was happening.
He told the Post that:
“It’s an emotive topic at the moment. We [the industry as a whole] have not done ourselves any favours. A few years ago, everybody who worked in the industry would have considered that it was up to the customer as an adult to make choices.”
He went on to suggest that because online businesses, like gambling sites, have access to so much data about people’s behaviour and spending patterns, firms should make more use of it to prevent problem gambling developing.
One of the specific suggestions he made was that operators could provide customers with a daily, weekly or monthly profit-and-loss account.
Proctor also pointed out how much Sky Betting & Gaming contributes to the Yorkshire economy, saying:
“We’ve grown from 300 to 400 people five years ago to 1,500 people in Yorkshire… It’s the place you would like your son or daughter to work. That’s the acid test. It cuts through all the rest of the noise.
“The average age of the staff is around 32 years old. We’ve taken an average of 40 graduates a year each year over the last few years.
“There’s a significant market share to be gained, there is still headroom left in the UK. There are new customers coming to the sector.”
(Photo: twitter.com/skybetcareers)
