On 5 October, Kindred Group opens the doors to the 2021 Sustainable Gambling Conference. This year’s theme is 'Safer gambling: a shared responsibility.' Maris Catania, Head of Responsible Gambling and Research, and Kristina Grewin, Interim Sustainability Manager, explain why you don’t want to miss this event.
Kristina, this is the sixth time that Kindred Group is hosting the Sustainable Gambling Conference. What do you want to achieve?
The online gambling industry is a growing industry. With that follows a responsibility, not only towards our customers but also towards the communities we operate within, our stakeholders and regulators. At the same time, the industry is often questioned. We want to facilitate a place to discuss these important topics on how the industry, together with others, can ensure a long-term, sustainable gambling industry. A transparent and honest dialogue is an important first step.
The next question is for you Maris. The theme this year is “Safer gambling: a shared responsibility”. Tell us more about that.
Every conference is framed by a theme. Last year, Innovation and Technology was the focus, a topic that is always top of our agenda, with Kindred being an international tech company. This year, we want to talk about how to offer customers a safe and secure experience; achieving harm minimisation, while still ensuring that gambling remains a form of entertainment for our customers. The industry has an obviously large part to play in this, but the question is, how can we collaboratively work with others to ensure that this supportive environment is provided from all angles? How can we work with media houses, payment providers, experts with lived experiences and trade associations to encourage this? This is not a topic that is usually discussed, but we hope that the conference will be a good start for these conversations to become the norm.
There is a wide range of speakers invited and many interesting sessions prepared. Kristina, which session are you most excited about?
We are very happy that so many speakers accepted to participate in the conference. Thanks to their varied backgrounds and different areas of expertise, we are sure that the discussions will be comprehensive and bring many interesting perspectives and insights. So, there will definitively be something for all. Not to forget the breakout sessions, which will be more specific in their topics.
Maris, what are the key takeaways you hope for from this day?
Prior to COVID-19, we always held this conference in a physical setting, which allowed people to network, meet, and discuss with different stakeholders. This aspect was always very important, but given that this year the event is held online, it gives people a chance to attend remotely and listen in. All sessions are recorded throughout the day, so people can easily revisit if they wish. If one uses the registration platform, they can also connect to others, and with their approval and permission, their name and contact details will be visible.
Apart from this, we really hope that people listen to the fascinating discussions and break-out sessions, so we can collectively commit to new actions and projects.
Thank you both so much. The last question is for both of you. Why shouldn´t I miss this conference?
Maris: The event gathers such impressive and varied expertise, all adding valuable perspectives on a complex, yet important question. Pretty much the whole value chain will be heard and that’s quite awesome and unique.
Kristina: This is quite a unique event, which is free and accessible to all. There is a myriad of speakers lined up, who can all contribute to such an important theme.
You can find more information about the Sustainable Gambling Conference here. Make sure you register today and don’t miss out.
