eCogra
eCogra, a UK based non-profit organization which regulates and acts as an authority for accredited online gambling operators has recently run a course on responsible gambling for 70 people working at several online casinos. A recent press release has revealed that for the fifth time in five years, eCogra has offered unique training sessions for casino staff who work for accredited companies, this time covering responsible gambling.
eCogra advised personnel on how to identify and understand problem gamblers, who may visit their casinos and raised awareness of the issues those with a gambling problem face. Problem gambling, otherwise known as ludomania, is classified as the overwhelming urge to gamble, despite, as Wikipedia suggests, “harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop”. The symptoms of problem gambling can vary from one player to another and can be difficult to understand, which is why eCogra chose to dedicate a training session to responsible gaming.
While the gambling authority noted that only a small percentage of the population can be defined as suffering from a gambling problem, it’s nonetheless useful to address the issue. Andrew Beveridge, who is eCogra’s chief executive, suggested that problem gambling "is frequently seized on by industry detractors, and for this as well as moral and business reasons it is essential that operators ensure that staff is trained and facilities are available to the players". While Beveridge is correct to suggest that a fear of problem gambling often leads critics to deride wagering in casinos, it’s unlikely that merely raising awareness of the issue will put an end to the aforementioned detraction.
If you know someone who has suffered from a gambling addiction, or perhaps believe that casinos can never truly identify problem gamblers, then we’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave a comment by using the form below.
