Kindred wants to earn the public’s trust by working proactively to counter money laundering, data leaks and ensuring that customers play in a sustainable way. "We look holistically at our trust-building work," says Christophe Dhaisne, Head of Customer Experience at Kindred Group.
Every day there is news about big companies suffering from data leaks leading to sensitive information about customers and users ending up in the wrong hands. In recent years, several cases of suspected money laundering within large banks have also been revealed. For the affected companies, loss of public trust can be a tough blow. "The consequences are huge for the brand reputation and when you lose public’s trust, it's hard to earn it again," Christophe Dhaisne says.
For Kindred, a gambling company which handles personal data from millions of customers annually, a key emphasis is placed on trust throughout the entire business. Kindred has similar responsibilities to banks when it comes to handling customers' money. “We look holistically at our trust-building work. This includes everything from securing our systems and payments to countering money laundering and showing the players that there is a reasonable chance of winning in our games,” says Dhaisne.
Investing in research
Since Kindred initiated major investments in research to develop their technical systems, they have, among other things, sponsored studies to determine how AI can be used to counter fraud and money laundering on digital platforms. Findings from those studies have been used as an addition to the massive amount of data Kindred collects, and study results are now being used to develop a solution to the problem.
Sustainable gambling is another important topic for Kindred. The company came a long way with the help of AI: it analyses risk behaviours and flags players who show signs of problem gambling. But Christophe and his colleagues’ vision is far bolder when it comes to promoting sustainable gambling. “The perception of the gambling industry could be far better. Therefore, we must show to society that we are reliable and do everything in our power to ensure that customers do not fall into addiction. We are already in the lead, but we challenge ourselves to do even more,” he says. “After 2023, no customer should fall into risk behaviour when they play with us. It is an ambitious goal, but perhaps the most important one based on the social view and the impact we have. At the same time, it is perhaps our biggest challenge.”
Playing by the rules
Christophe also highlights the new GDPR rules as something positive, as they allow Kindred to be more transparent to the users. "We fully comply with the policies and don't just want to simply tick the boxes. The GDPR and the regulations developed by the EU give us an opportunity to show more transparency to our customers. GDPR can be a good platform for building a competitive advantage for us,” he says.
The holistic view of how they deserve the customers' trust runs through Kindred's entire business because everyone knows what is at stake. “Customer confidence is complex and is therefore difficult to earn and maintain. One can lose it in an instant. This applies to all companies,” concludes Christophe.
