Ryan McCarthy is the Director of Health at the BCLC (British Columbia Lottery Corporation), and we decided to have a conversation with him this week to discuss what player health is and how the Corporation is leading the charge to promote it through several innovative strategies across various verticals, including casino, lottery, and online. Solutions like Game Break, GameSense Advisors, and GameSense have all contributed to provide a safer gambling experience. McCarthy emphasizes the significance of understanding players better to provide personalized support and make sure that player health practices are included in the industry. He also highlights the continuous enhancement to sustain player health and the necessity for proactive measures within the industry.
Identifying Player Health in the Gambling Industry
Player Health takes the well-being of players and places it at the center of business practices. It's all about providing safer gambling experiences and minimizing harm from all the products offered at the BCLC to players. This means that it is much broader that simply supporting players who are at risk of having or developing a gambling problem. This is how the British Columbia Lottery Corporation approaches 'Player Heath'. It's also why Ryan and his team continues to work on tackling player health issues and constantly looks for opportunities with innovative strategies that will support players across all channels, including casino, lottery, and online. The team also looks for ways to keep players informed while keeping their play fun. Some of the examples that the BCLC have worked on include:
- GameSense - This is the player health program at the BCLC, designed to assist players to make informed decisions when it comes to gambling. It also connects players to the most applicable resources.
- GameSense Advisors - This connects players to support resources when they require help. The Advisors are available at GameSense Information Centres in all community gaming centres and casinos as well as online through PlayNow Casino.
- Game Break - This is the self-exclusion program at the BCLC, an incredible resource for players who recognize that they are experiencing problems linked to gambling.
Player Health is Key to Sustainability at BC Online Casinos
According to Ryan McCarthy, operators are well aware of the fact that player health is the key to business sustainability. The majority of industry leaders that Ryan had conversations with understand that safer play is a huge advantage. The British Columbia Lottery Corporation is committed to offering the highest level of care and support to players. The retailers and service providers in its gambling facility are required to follow regulations and standards that go above and beyond the requirements set out by its regulator. Some of these standards include:
- Educating staff within the gambling industry on appropriate responses
- Offering information that will allow players to make educated decisions
- Protecting vulnerable people and minors from gambling
- Clearly presenting the odds of winning
- Allocating responsible gambling information to areas that are easily accessible
- Ensuring gambling marketing materials are presented in a responsible manner
Why Promoting Safer Play is Good for Business
Things are looking up when it comes to player health protection. For instance, when you look at conferences or trade shows within the industry, you will usually find content relating to player health protection. The industry recognizes that this is a key part to their business strategy that should be considered. Ryan also sees this happening not only on the main stage but in player protection focused forums as well. Operators are aware of the fact that innovating in this space and signifying a proactive approach will help their relationships with regulators and indicate that they understand the value and importance of being involved in this work.
Ryan believes that the biggest challenge can also be seen as the biggest opportunity. This involves meeting players and understanding where they are at in their safer play journey. Whether its in-venue or online, the more the BCLC know about players and personalize their interactions, the more they can support them. The BCLC needs to interact with players before seeing high-risk behaviours in order to mitigate challenges as quickly as possible. Ryan also believes that operators are realizing more than ever that reaching players in efficient ways and being proactive in promoting safer play is good for business. It also enables productive relationships when it comes to regulators.
Key Commitments that Encourage Healthy Play at BCLC
The BCLC does notice loads of similarities in player education spanning across several jurisdictions, whether it's safer online gambling tool adoption, educating players on concepts relating to safer play, or debunking gambling myths. These have all been proven as effective ways to support players and develop safer gambling behaviours. The BCLC Director of Health, Ryan McCarthy, wants players to enjoy gambling within their money and time limits. He also wants those who are exhibiting high-risk behaviours to reduce the money and time spent or simply stop gambling altogether. The player health ambition at the BCLC is structured around 4 key commitments that encourage healthy play. This includes:
- Safer Environments and Products - Constantly seeking ways to improve marketing, environments, and products so it's easier for players to keep to their limits.
- Support and Referral - Training employees to offer sensitive and knowledgeable support to those who are showing signs of a problem.
- Positive Play - Offering enhanced tools to assist players in adopting safer behaviours.
- Informed Decisions - Ensuring healthy decisions are made by players by providing valuable information about gambling.
There are also player health certifications that are internationally recognized for gaming jurisdictions. For instance, the BCLC was re-certified at Level 4 in 2023 for responsible gambling programs by the World Lottery Association (WLA). The association represents the interests of members from gambling and lottery organizations from 84 countries. The BCLC is 1 of 13 jurisdictions in North America who achieved WLA Level 4 certification. This is the highest level achievable and the 5th consecutive time that the corporation received it.
Future Goals for the BCLC Player Health Strategy
The biggest goal for the future is to ensure player health is at the forefront of responsible growth. The primary objective with the Player Health Strategy of the BCLC is to strive towards players demonstrating some of the safest gambling behaviours in the industry. Ryan believes that by innovating in this area, it will grow the business and provide a sustainable player base in a responsible way. To successfully achieve this, the BCLC is focused on 3 goals over the next 5 years.
This includes understanding players better so that their behaviours and choices are better understood to offer the best possible support. The BCLC also wants to personalize player health experiences to deliver accurate information, services, and interactions while supporting the adoption of safer gambling behaviours. Lastly, the Corporation wants to embed player health further into their industry ecosystem. This starts at the BCLC and is spread through collaborative partnerships with retails, service providers, and vendors.
Safer Play at BC, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan Online Casinos
With all the information provided by Ryan McCarthy as the Director of Health at BCLC, it's safe to say that players can expect some of the best customer service, security measures, and responsible gambling protocols while playing at some of the best BC online casinos in 2024. You'll also be pleased to know that the BCLC manages Manitoba and Saskatchewan which means the same player safety measures are available in these provinces. The BCLC continuous to look for ways to improve your gambling experience with every visit while ensuring you have all the information and resources needed to promote safer play. We hope this not only leads to a safer gambling experience across Canada, but the rest of the world as well.
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