Roadmap
The ambition to have zero revenue from harmful gambling is one of our most important ambitions to date and requires dedication, collaboration and focus within Kindred, but also across the industry, and with lived experience representatives, treatment centres, and regulators, but the journey does not stop there. This is a long-term commitment, and as we learn more about customer behaviours, improve our technology, identify better control tools, and initiate new partnerships, the ambition will evolve and continue to push the limit of what we can achieve. We will not stop until gambling is 100 per cent enjoyable.
Research collaborations
We remain focused on research into psychology, behaviour and markers of harm. We work alongside our peers, regulators, researchers, and individuals who have experienced a gambling disorder.
Ongoing
- Academic peer review of PS-EDS.
Coming up
- Exploring the expansion on PhD programmes, with the addition of new PhD programmes at different universities and in new markets.
- Looking into research collaborations in different fields, covering additional operations to provide a more holistic view of the customer journey.
- Dedicating more time and resources for research to inhouse research projects.
Completed
2023
- Sponsoring four PhD programmes at the University of Malta and one PhD student at the University of Bournemouth, UK.
- Research collaboration with Dr Jonathan Parke to review potential harm from different gambling products.
2021
- Peer-reviewed research on applying DSM-5 to online behaviour.
- Publication of study “Understanding Online Voluntary Self-Exclusion in Gambling: An Empirical Study Using Account-Based Behavioral Tracking Data”.
2017
- Supported research into player profile and efficacy of responsible gambling practices.
- Supported research into using anonymised customer data.
Technological excellence driving change
Thanks to Kindred’s innovative approach and through more than 20 years of technological excellence, our player monitoring system, PS-EDS, and other control tools are constantly improved and challenged to ensure the best customer support and care.
Ongoing
- Looking into furthering our collaboration with 3rd party suppliers
- Further implementation of control tools on customer level
- Implementing automated communication to triggers detected in PS-EDS to ensure timely intervention when needed.
Coming up
- Using technological advancements to improve the accuracy of detection of PS-EDS.
- Building a real-time monitoring capability by updating PS-EDS.
- Implement further control tools.
- Personalisation of PS-EDS.
- Gamban gambling-blocking software available for French customers.
Completed
2022
- Make Recover Me App available for free to all customers in UK and US.
- Offer Gamban on Unibet France
2021
- Developed and launched the AI based responsible gambling app, Bettor Time, together with Zafty Intelligence and Assissa Consultancy Europe.
- Gamban gambling-blocking software available for US customers.
2020
- Started to launch PS-EDS v2 based on DSM-5 in different markets.
2019
- Unibet the first UK operator integrating blocking software into the self-exclusion process.
2018
- Funding of the online blocking tool, Adblocker.
- Sponsored a translation of the Gambling Therapy app for the Nordic markets.
- Entered partnerships with Gamban to offer customers protection through a new gambling-blocking software in Europe and Australia.
2017
- Funding of the development of the free Gambling Therapy app.
Customer care and dialogue
Our sports sponsorships across different markets provides us with a unique platform for communicating our Responsible Gambling message. We continue to educate our customers in safer gambling and intervene when we see signs of changed behaviour.
Ongoing
- Partnership between Unibet and SEF to tackle problem gambling.
- Magnus Carlsen, World Chess Champion and Unibet’s brand ambassador for the Journey Towards Zero.
- 32Red renews longstanding partnership with SPFL Champion Rangers including men’s mental health initiative TeamTalk.
- Using sponsorships to promote and educate customers on safer gambling and mental health – in the UK for instance, Kindred dedicates over 30 per cent of sponsorships for said purposes.
- The project “Au Coeur du Football” where Unibet sponsors sponsor 300 amateur football clubs in France.
- The “No Heart No Glory' project with football club Club Brugge which offers workshops on heart disease in sporting and ensures availability of AED defibrillators.
Coming up
- Partnership with the football club AFC Ajax working in the field of prevention of betting-related match-fixing, mental health and responsible gambling.
Completed
2021
- The 30/30 fund – a CSR initiative funded by Unibet and Henrik Lundqvist where 30 Swedish clubs and associations that support an inclusive sports culture receive SEK 30,000.
2020
- Release of customer campaigns with ambassadors to highlight messaging around staying in control.
2019
- Unibet and 32Red extended the responsible gambling strategy through football club sponsorships in UK.
2018
- Launch of a campaign in Belgium to raise awareness of responsible gambling, followed by other markets.
Collaboration for impact
To eliminate harmful gambling, the industry also needs to share knowledge and learnings as well as collaborate with all relevant stakeholders, including other operators and regulators.
Ongoing
- Through EGBA, explore possibilities to share data from operators to regulators in order to track historic harmful gambling.
- Work with regulators to address the need of widening the scope of national self-exclusion registers to include adjacent industries such as consumer loan providers.
- Together with identified national trade associations, set out industry-wide commitments for the next 3-4 years.
- Co-sponsoring the development of Spil for livet – an educational movie and roadshow in Denmark together with Danske Spil.
- Partnering up with quitgamble.com to provide better support for high-risk players.
- Support EGBA in CEN standard project, enhancing responsible gambling practices.
Coming up
- Looking into expanding relationships with treatment centres on a local level.
- Closer collaboration with lived experience representatives on how to propel more sustainable practices.
Completed
2022
- The annual Sustainable Gambling Conference, most recently hosted on 19 October 2022 in Amsterdam.
- Partnering up with EPIC Risk Management to provide training and development sessions for staff, whilst also reviewing our interventions to better assist our customers.
2021
- Engaged in activities with regulators to define common objectives in eradicating harmful gambling as robust licence systems are required.
- Engaged with national trade associations to map out industry-wide white papers and policy documents.
2018
- Annual Responsible Gambling Conference rebrand to Sustainable Gambling Conference.
2017
- Hosting a round table on technological advancement and the impact on detecting harmful gambling at an early stage.
Transparency
To facilitate a fair, transparent and honest discussion, we openly report on the share of revenue derived from high-risk customers. We also share important milestones on our journey towards zero, so that we can contribute to a fact-based dialogue about a sustainable gambling industry and what is needed to protect the most vulnerable players.
Ongoing
- Quarterly disclosure of the share of revenue from harmful gambling.
- Attending and speaking at conferences with prioritised stakeholder groups.
Coming up
- Local adaptations of our Sustainable Gambling Conference, with a deepened focus on highlighting each market’s specific settings and challenges.
Completed
2020
- Established a Sustainability Council, reporting to the Executive Team and Audit Committee, to align and integrate strategic activities across the business.
2018
- Kindred’s first sustainability report published according to GRI.
2017
- Developed and implemented a complete sustainability framework.
- Kindred the first operator to successfully complete an external audit against 2014/478/EU.
