The charity sponsored Bournemouth University (BU) to conduct research around how to create a safer online gambling environment.
Based on this, BU has published a paper that presents several recommendations for the industry and stakeholders.
Chiefly, a need for greater transparency was identified, but this is a vague term, so BU created a “checklist for transparency.”
Operators should present “accurate information” about the probability of winning a game, alongside a clear explanation of how each game works, the university said.
Information about safer gambling tools, including how to access and use them, should be readily available, as should information about how customers’ data is collected and used.
Further items were included in the checklist, such as “accurate advertising” and “a full explanation of which responsibilities fall on government, operators and individuals.”
With this checklist in mind, the university recommended that operators ensure safer gambling links are “clear and prominent.”
“Icons should have clear, obvious, working links to safer gambling information,” the university wrote.
“Content should not be relegated to the bottom of webpages, and the text should be the same size as the rest of the web content.”
It also said safer gambling content is often presented in a “boring, text-heavy” manner, and instead suggested that operators use videos and images more frequently.
Zoë Osmond, GambleAware CEO, commented: “This report makes some important recommendations for gambling operators to place greater focus and importance on safer gambling messages on their websites and ensure people are aware of the risks.
She went on to urge the UK Government to publish the gambling White Paper as soon as possible.
“This research serves as further proof that we need to see the gambling White Paper published as soon as possible to avoid further gambling harm,” Osmond added.
