Maris Catania, Head of Responsible Gaming and Research at Kindred Group has been appointed to the advisory board of Gamban. Maris has a Diploma in Gambling Addiction Counselling and Psychology and is now completing her PhD under the supervision of Prof. Mark Griffiths. Her PhD focuses on analysing early signs of online problem gambling, responsible gaming tools and responsible gaming promotion. Maris shares her success with us.
Maris, congratulations – you have been appointed to the advisory board at Gamban. Tell us what Gamban is?
Gamban is the most effective self-help tool for restricting access at device-level to gambling sites and applications, assisting in gambling addiction recovery. The product’s primary purpose is to block devices (Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android) from accessing gambling sites and apps (casinos, lottery, bingo, poker, trading, slots, skins, etc). The product’s second feature is connecting the individual to treatment providers to further assist in addiction recovery.
A step in the right direction
Having you on the board– what does that mean for Kindred?
We believe that Gamban can provide the necessary help through their intelligent system, which blocks access to online gambling. Gamban’s initiative can make a significant impact at a critical time in a person’s life, so we are proud supporters.
What does this position mean to you personally?
I have known the Gamban team for a while and have seen some impressive progress over the years with the functionality and traction they have gained in the marketplace. I’m extremely excited to be involved in such an innovative and practical solution that has a real outcome for at-risk players.
Tell us more about your role on the board
I will work with the team at Gamban on navigating the constantly changing online gaming landscape and assist with the industry uptake of gambling-blocking software as a cornerstone of self-exclusion.
Why is the partnership with Gamban so important?
Gamban is a practical tool that is actively helping thousands of problem gamblers, including a small number of players who may be at risk on our platforms. By offering a self-exclusion option that works across all regulated and non-regulated gambling platforms, we are able to offer an effective way of self-exclusion, ensuring better player protection.
Preventing harmful behaviour
How efficient are the tools that Gamban provides?
According to a recent independent evaluation commissioned by GambleAware, Gamban is the most effective gambling-blocking solution. Additionally, in this report, blocking software was deemed to be effective in restricting access to online gambling. In a follow-up survey to individuals who used Gamban through the UK national treatment network (particularly the National Gambling Helpline, operated by GamCare), 89% of respondents said Gamban was a helpful tool in aiding their recovery.
Do you know of any plans to appoint others to the board of Gamban?
At this stage, the team at Gamban are carefully choosing a diverse and representative group to assist in advising and shaping the future of gambling-blocking software, as a key element of the self-exclusion process.
Maris also presented her work on Player Safety Early Detection System at this month’s Women In Tech meetup, held at our award-winning Stockholm office.
