Charles Cohen explains: it's not 'affordability', and more – The Gambling Files RTFM 149

There’s the usual nonsense to kick off, Jon apologising for not doing an episode last week, that kind of thing [0:00 – 20:30], then the chaps meet their latest guest, the excellent Antti Koivula, legal advisor for Legal Gaming, of Finland.

Antti covers the surprising news about Betsson in Finland and the subsequent blacklisting; we delve into the background of the Betsson case, the legislative reform for gambling advertisement, and the administrative proceedings against the company. Antti explains the advertising restrictions in Finland and some of the nuances around affiliate marketing. The conversation also explores PSP blocking and its potential impact on Betsson. Finally, the timelines and licensing process in Finland are discussed, and Antti is surprisingly optimistic about the future of the country’s legal gambling market [20:31 – 1:07:18].

We begin with more small talk between Jon and Fintan [0:00 – 14:00] some of which may involve premier sponsors Optimove and Clarion Gaming. They’re just so hot right now!

Another returning guest this episode, it’s the brilliant Charles Cohen of Department of Trust fame. We do start this one – and it’s on Charles – talking about Ludlow and its influence on video games despite being in the arse-end of nowhere. But then we get into it: frictionless affordability checks. Charles explains that these checks are aimed at identifying financial vulnerability rather than determining what individuals can afford, and we discuss the upcoming changes to UK legislation and the potential impact on operators and consumers. The conversation explores the identification of financially vulnerable customers and the need for resilience in the gambling industry. It also discusses adverse life events and long-term health as factors that contribute to financial vulnerability. The focus is on identifying financially vulnerable customers rather than setting levels of affordability. We highlight the importance of risk-based approaches and the need for operators to develop policies and criteria for identifying and supporting financially vulnerable customers. The standardization of assessments and the potential for innovation in the industry are also discussed [14:01 – 1:07:35].

This podcast is presented by Optimove, which is used by 56% of the EGR Power50 to personalize player experiences. Visit Optimove here for more info, not least because it helps to support independent podcasts like ours. Go on, click it! Find out! It’s awesome.

First up, Fintan and Jon talk about some stuff or other, a bit of this and that, plus their benevolent sponsor overlords Optimove and Clarion Gaming [0:00 – 22:44].

Then star guest and UK gambling law scion Melanie Ellis, of Northridge Law fame, joins the chat. We discuss the newly-minted online slot stake limits, debate the effectiveness of stake limits, the lack of evidence for the impact of same, and have a brief look at the recent WSJ article about a psychiatrist's gambling addiction. This leads to discussing where the responsibility of player and operator overlap, the responsibility of gambling companies and the government, the debate on financial risk checks, the illegal bookie story, the impact of stake limits on customers, the debate on affordability checks in horse racing, and more.

The challenges in measuring the impact of stake limits are highlighted, along with the opportunity for intervention and checks with lower stake limits. The introduction of new affordability and financial risk checks is also discussed. The conversation concludes with a timeline for implementing stake limits and financial risk checks, as well as a brief off-topic discussion on pastries, baking, fire alarms, and Amsterdam architecture [22:45 – 58:16].

This podcast is presented by Optimove, which is used by 56% of the EGR Power50 to personalize player experiences. Visit Optimove here for more info, not least because it helps to support independent podcasts like ours. Go on, click it! Find out! It’s awesome.

OK, joking aside – this episode, it’s well worth skipping the intro, even though we discuss our benevolent and beloved sponsors Optimove and Clarion Gaming. Jon talks absolute waffle, even going into a race he once organised, and a wedding fayre (that’s how they spell it, really), and bigging up his own credentials to run ICE as a result. Fintan is not convinced [0:00 – 37:37].

Then they’re joined by the lovely and knowledgable Frank Op de Woerd of www.CasinoNieuws.nl – basically if Frank doesn’t know it about the Netherlands industry, it’s not worth knowing. The conversation covers various gambling industry topics in the Netherlands, kicking off with the return of Betsson to the Dutch market and the history of their involvement. The discussion then moves on to the court case involving Entain and BetCity, where undisclosed investigations and fines are causing legal issues. The conversation also touches on the advertising restrictions for individuals under 24 and the challenges faced by affiliates. Finally, there is a discussion on societal polarity and the role of faith in shaping people's beliefs and ideologies. The conversation explores the demonization of others, negative prospects for the future, the importance of faith, creating a cause for the disenfranchised, the appeal of Trump, the role of dark money, dysfunctional government and corporate influence, the historical angle of voting, and the choice between Biden and Trump. Yeah, we go all over the place. We finish up with a discussion about the upcoming Dutch Online Casino Awards [37:38 – 1:26:51].

It's another winner! Except for Jon droning on in the intro.

This podcast is presented by Optimove, which is used by 56% of the EGR Power50 to personalize player experiences. Visit Optimove here for more info, not least because it helps to support independent podcasts like ours. Go on, click it! Find out! It’s awesome.

First post-ICE edition and it’s a doozy. Thanks, Ned*! First up, Fintan and Jon talk about their very different experiences of ICE. Clue: one included golf, socialising and nice dinners and lunches, and one included recording the podcast, editing it, staying in a shitty hotel and almost no socialising [0:00 – 20:10].

Then we’re joined by top guest and newly-minted CEO of OddsJam.com, Matt Restivo.

He discusses his passion for running marathons and participating in endurance races (mostly with Fintan; Jon’s glory days are long gone, and were not very glorious anyway). He shares his journey from running to triathlon and the challenges and rewards of training for these events. Matt also talks about his personal health and fitness regimen and the importance of maintaining a balanced lifestyle. He then introduces OddsJam, a data-driven platform that provides tools and educational content for sports bettors. Matt explains how OddsJam helps users identify value in the betting market and make informed decisions, and discusses the target audience and customer success stories of OddsJam. Finally, Matt shares the future plans for OddsJam and his participation in the ICE conference (yes, we recorded this just before ICE). In this conversation, the hosts and guest discuss various topics related to attending conferences and customer retention. They start by joking about swag and conference preparations, including laptop stickers and jam. But we left all this stuff in anyway because it’s GOLD [20:12 – 1:03:09].

This podcast is presented by Optimove, which is used by 56% of the EGR Power50 to personalize player experiences. Visit Optimove here for more info, not least because it helps to support independent podcasts like ours. Go on, click it! Find out! It’s awesome.

*Ryerson, not Flanders

Jon flies solo in the week's third outing, as Fintan responds to Chairman emergencies around the globe in his role as some kind of chair-superhero. I guess his name would be simply, Chair Man. That works.

Anyway, first guest on Thursday was the lovely Chief Vision Officer from Xprizo, Richard Mifsud, with their genius product which not only helps businesses wanting to enter potentially difficult markets with transaction handling, it also helps people without access to traditional banking. It's proper genius [0:00 - 17:25].

Second up, the excellent and virile Kyle Wiltshire, CEO of Testa. It's a brilliant business idea and honestly, I have no idea why it's not been done before. Also, Terry Fox gets mentioned again because any excuse for Jon and he's right there [17:26 - 39:39].

And finally, drum roll please… Optimove CEO Pini Yakuel chats to Jon about how the business started, why Israel is so good at tech innovation, and more. We will be having Pini on again for sure, as this just scratches the surface [39:41 – 1:05:38].

Coincidentally, this podcast is presented by Optimove, which is used by 56% of the EGR Power50 to personalize player experiences. Visit Optimove here for more info, not least because it helps to support independent podcasts like ours. Go on, click it! Find out! It’s awesome.

Well, Jon messed up and left his car keys at the hotel, which would have been fine but his mic was locked in the car, which is at ExCeL. So a slightly more rustic feel to today's episode, not least because Fintan is busy doing chairman things. It also means no intro, so we go straight into the action with Better Change's Rob Mabbett. Rob joins Jon to talk about the team's tie-up with RG24/7, as they now offer the latter's training free of charge. How to spell Leeds also comes up, along with tales of Deb The Greek and Mick The Coin off Ludlow market, and even Terry Fox. But mainly, it's about the training stuff and why it's valuable [0:00 - 25:05].

Then the Mighty Mel Ellis joins Jon as he eulogises about the excellent Optimove software, and the pair get into how the consultation on the UK white paper is going. Norwegian pastries make an appearance, and of course, ICE is discussed. Just what does a top gambling industry lawyer do at a top gambling industry trade event, exactly? Find out here! [25:06 - 53:20]

This podcast is presented by Optimove, which is used by 56% of the EGR Power50 to personalize player experiences. Visit Optimove here for more info, not least because it helps to support independent podcasts like ours. Go on, click it! Find out! It’s awesome.

More tomorrow!

It's been a banging first day at ICE 2024; the place is absolutely heaving, ExCeL is buzzing and if you're not here, why not?

We're doing an episode a day in theory, as our benevolent wonders Clarion Gaming kindly found us a room to record in. So, the intro is Fintan and Jon talking about stuff including Optimove, the other wonder sponsor, as the room is very close to their stand (which is at the entrance to N5, you can't miss it, go and mention the podcast for an amazon voucher. But also, get a demo. You will not regret it.) [0:00 - 11:17].

First guest is Jon's friend Reda Seiliute, to talk about how people use ICE in different ways; Reda is looking for her next project in gaming, so is here for the networking and is pounding the floor in sensible shoes [11:18 - 23:11].

Next up is Stuart Simms of Fair Play Sports Media, talking about their growing presence in the gambling industry and the world of Oddschecker, among their many brands. It's a many-tailed conversation that occasionally rambles, in a good way [23:12 - 51:19].

Finally, we are graced by the magnificent combination of Mark Flores-Martin and Adam Davis of XGENIA. These guys are part of a team creating AI software so that the end user can customise their own slots for the ultimate in personalisation. The conversation takes in the need for AI regulation, and what the gambling industry should bear in mind on this path. It brings up some hard subjects (that's what she said). Also, is the CMO role really dying out? [51:20 - 1:25:07]

This podcast is presented by Optimove, which is used by 56% of the EGR Power50 to personalize player experiences. Visit Optimove here for more info, not least because it helps to support independent podcasts like ours. Go on, click it! Find out! It’s awesome.

More tomorrow!

Helloooooo!

First up, Jon shares some of what he’s learned using dating apps, which is useful for all mankind. Then Fintan shushes him before it goes entirely off the rails [0:00 – 14:05].

The guest this episode is the returning Paul Sculpher of Gaming Recruitment Solutions, with his varied observations on all things industry and recruitment. We discuss career aspirations, recruitment trends, and challenges in the gaming industry. We also explore the importance of networking, making connections, and leveraging LinkedIn for job opportunities. The conversation also touches on the difficulties and sacrifices of senior roles, the value of character in hiring decisions, and the support available for employees in casino closures. The hosts share their favourite and least-favourite casinos, and the episode concludes with a lighthearted discussion about strip clubs and the Hippodrome’s Magic Mike show. Oh, and Las Vegas; we talk Vegas too [14:06 – 1:21:19].