The need for social responsibility

First of all, thank you Willem for the opportunity to speak here. I consider it an honor. I still remember the first time I visited GiH, much shorter on my own quitting gambling. I was honestly almost physically sick at the time, being so close to the industry again, the industry that I myself had almost fallen into. Note that 'I' is a finite verb here and not a direct object.

Only myself was responsible for that addiction and not the industry, the cafe owner who let me gamble at the time or the municipal official of the place Emmen who helped make slots in the catering industry possible.

Today is not about me, yet it is useful to look at parallels. To see how it can be done differently. Better. More responsible. Really responsible. That term is often misused.

Thank Willem also for this platform as a former gambler or experience expert. The law has assigned quite a role to the experiential expert. I also grabbed that role and it fits me wonderfully.

In an ideal world, I think we would fit well together. That's how I am, I like it when everyone is doing well. Now grown up, old and wise, I know that unfortunately not everyone has that. With a dramatic example of 'gambler X has lost 70K in the first two months after the market has opened', some people don't get any further than 'that's his own responsibility!' In my view, you still have to learn then. A lot, in fact! And no, that is different from: 'This is the industry's fault.' No, the gambler, provider and who knows, 'politics' or 'society' also failed here. Politics in a democracy is always society. Society choose them, after all.

Dutch society has reacted strongly to the gambling advertisements that have been poured out over our country since October 1 last year. 'Necessary', the industry shouted 'because of the canalisation'. 'One has to know where the legal gambling circuit is.'?I can follow the reasoning. Meanwhile, CEOs of major gambling companies have also admitted that it was a tad on the absurd side and it is less so now. Channeling is also an occasionally misused word. After all: pointing out the legal offer can also be done in other ways, and the illegal offer could also be tackled more harshly.

I've already suggested the idea of simply putting the legal providers on a poster together with a warning message about the risks of gambling and broadcasting this twice a day. The money saved on advertising can then be invested directly in healthy information. It’s a less stupid idea then you think perhaps.

Pas op gamen en gokken, 'Beware of gaming and gambling' is common in schools and speaks to many students and teachers. The average response from education to gambling advertisements is not positive. The average teacher in the Netherlands who tries to give good education and healthy life lessons, states that we are 'not allowed to advertise cigarettes, alcohol or drugs. This comparison is obviously flawed, since gambling is a different product, and while cigarettes and alcohol are always bad for a person, gambling is not always. At the same time, a person can do very well without gambling and I am forever grateful to the day I last gambled.

Former gamblers, addicts themselves are of course extremely critical: why legalize something that can have such disastrous consequences? A logical response, also in line with their recovery. Definitely something to listen to though. After all, we didn't all want that, did we? Partners of addicts are much more fierce: they compare gambling providers to drug dealers, and once living with a gambling addict I can tell you that this comparison is less nonsensical than you think.

Over the past week, I delivered three additional Addiction Prevention Training courses to staff at provider 888 in Gibraltar. (Incidentally with an actor as required by law and with the story of an experience expert. A complete workout and not a stripped down cheap version of it.) As it should be, so to say. ?In the evening after the training I spoke to a lady who works there and who came from Romania. She had fled, she said. I asked for what, after all, the days of Ceaucescu are far behind us. “For my ex,” she said. He gambled, sold their things, threatened her, took out loans in her name, and did everything God had forbidden. She got a job through a friend at 888 in Gibraltar and got rid of him. She feels guilty now working for a gambling provider, but what was she supposed to do? She is still somewhat happy in the RG department.

It's just one example of the madness a gambling addiction can lead to. Those are the stories we should all avoid. All together I mean the gambling providers, the politicians and the gambler. Indeed, no one is forced to gamble. But the product is maddeningly appealing to some. So shared responsibility is a must.

Industry can play a role in this attractiveness. That's what I've also advised many companies: take it easy. Slow down a bit. You do not have to offer bonuses. That's a choice. Really, the term bonus whore is common among addicted gamblers. The term bonus hunters too. It encourages more gambling and is extra addictive. You therefore have a direct influence here, as an operator. Make use of it. Stop giving the junkies free cocaine. Agree to stop this.

Another is the contact with your gamblers. You all have an overview of the gambling behaviour of your gambling via algorithms. You pride yourself on having more data than your land based colleagues. You all send them emails and pop-ups. In your prevention policy you often and a lot talk about the 'Know Your Customer' principle. But you don't know anything about your gamblers. You don't know where they gamble, what their mood is, if they are sad or emotional, if they are chasing their loss from another provider, if they can still honestly look their partner in the eye. Nor how many accounts they actually have.

So get in touch. Make real contact! Call them, video call them. Put accounts of gamblers you are concerned about on hold until you are sure they are okay. A pop-up is the most impersonal message a person can receive. You also want personal contact with your GP and not an email, let alone a pop-up.

“We see that you have been betting a lot more in the last two weeks. Do you actually think gambling is still okay for you?' Such an email can be called cynical and is at odds with the concept of 'duty of care.'

How it should be in an ideal world? I'll give you the example, the way in which you can really watch the gamblers together. It goes like this:

Centrally, a gambler deposits the amount into his one gambling account. That account is accessible to all providers, both land-based and online. The centrally set limits apply to all parties. If a gambler gambles from his account in a land-based casino, it will be deducted from his player card. Ditto for any internet gambling session. And money gone means money gone. Centrally, it is looked at - in advance - what someone can miss, depending on income and expenses. Compare it with taking out a loan in the Netherlands. The data is also linked and as a resident I am well protected against excessive borrowing of money. If it can be done in lending, it can also be done in gambling. It's a matter of will, really. Nothing more and nothing less At ICE in London I saw what intelligent products you can make. Then you can also make a common entrance gate, as you can with CRUKS at the end! So if you really care about gamblers, proactively discuss this in your industry associations. Surprise Dutch society and me! By the way, speaking of trade associations: throw out those parties that make a mess. Be self-cleaning and speak sternly to each other!

Gambling providers differ very little from each other, state-run or not. You really offer exactly the same product, there is absolutely no difference. You all have roulette and slots. You can only distinguish yourself by becoming the best child in the class. As far as I'm concerned, the future of gambling companies in the Netherlands only exists for those parties that take the best care and genuinely care about the well-being of their gamblers. For their health, that is. Those who do not have that as their highest aspiration and who are really just money-grabbers, should immediately surrender their license, without any mercy.

Oh yeah, and stop making that scary connection to sports! Football is a fun game and has nothing to do with gambling, or it shouldn't. Kudos to those gambling companies that don't sponsor sports clubs! Next season there will be no professional football clubs in the Netherlands that do not also receive money in one way or another from gambling providers. A sick situation in my view. Young children are already singing the songs of gambling commercials during intermission. A very young generation already knows the names of gambling companies and will consider gambling as 'normal'. Gambling is not an 'ordinary' product, but a risky product. Do you remember? Formula one cars with Marlboro on them? Isn't that allowed anymore? Exercise, sport is healthy. Making a connection with this as a potentially unhealthy habit is sad and reprehensible in my eyes.

Furthermore, I still miss the healthy message between the gambling commercials. Where is the awareness message about gambling as a risky habit? Politics and addiction care and who knows, the old addicts could play a role in this. We have now started a new, busy intersection, but the traffic lights are not working or have not yet been installed. Everyone understands that accidents will happen.

I also seriously miss the information about gambling in education. Now it seems that we do not educate about safe sex, but invest in abortion clinics. That is reactive policy instead of proactive. One of the pillars of our regulator is to inform. Where is this pillar then? Speaking of giving information and our regulator: they too could play a role in publicizing licensed gambling companies. Leaving this to the market thus resulted in the advertising boom. It was not difficult to predict this, in fact, we saw this coming from miles away. Now we have to backtrack and take a step back. That is always more difficult.

Finally, a word to healthcare. Addiction care is united in the VKN, Addiction Science Netherlands. They have closed the door to gambling companies and no longer wish to be in contact with them. I appeal to them: do this. Talking to is so much better than kicking or ignoring! If you don't stay in touch but stand on the sidelines, I will hold you co-responsible for the victims gambling is still making today.

I think I'm out of words right now. Always remember where your salary comes from. For a certain percentage this is from sick people suffering from the disease addiction. From my own experience I can tell you that this is a rotten disease. I don't wish it on anyone, not even you.

Have a nice day.