gambling industry is funding an 18-month research project that will provide online operators with a best practice guide for cutting out harmful gambling.

The industry-funded Responsible Gaming Trust has commissioned data experts at PwC to complete the task after a “rigorous and competitive selection process”.

The team will start off by working with Canada’s Responsible Gambling Council to understand the ways in which remote operators minimise harm on their side of the pond.

The second phase will see the analysts pore over industry data and then recommend how best remote operators in the UK can minimise harm.

Marc Etches, CEO at the Responsible Gambling Trust, said: “We are committed to commissioning research not only to understand player behaviour but to improve processes in the industry to mitigate gambling-related harm.

“We have completed an extensive tender process and have emerged with research partners of the highest calibre.

“Between them PwC and the Responsible Gambling Council have an extensive understanding of the gambling industry and issues of social impact and I am confident that this work will make a valuable contribution to efforts to minimise gambling-related harm in the remote sector.”

David Trunkfield, a partner at PwC, who heads up the betting and gaming arm of the firm, said: “We're delighted to be working with the RGT on this important question as doing the right thing for society is central to PwC's purpose.

“By combining our leading data analytics practice and betting & gaming teams, we'll be using a data led approach to come up with practical recommendations to improve the identification and mitigation of gaming-related harm. We're looking forward to working closely with the RGT and remote gaming industry over the next 18 months.”