It's All About Protection

Sometimes it is hard to see through the rhetoric on player protection and it can feel like just another set of obligations thrust upon our industry, while other sectors carry on regardless. We all want to do the best for our customers, however it can be frustrating for responsible operators having to prove the actions undertaken day in and day out. It does beg the question just how do you gain enough information to “know your customer” and offer protection to both client and business without falling foul of GDPR regulations?

One answer being the automation of age verification and data reporting – incorporate the  latest technology to better protect your business, staff and the players you serve.

Protect Your Staff

Did you know that younger staff are statistically less likely to challenge the age of their peers? The situation has been eased slightly with the introduction of Challenge 25 (formerly Challenge 21). This was introduced in 2005 when the Government challenged retailers to do more to tackle the serious issue of underage sales and underage drinking. The challenge 25 scheme is now commonplace in supermarkets, independent retailers and in the on-trade throughout the UK.

Challenge 25 is a retailing strategy that encourages anyone who is over 18 but looks under 25 to carry acceptable ID when buying alcohol or other age-restricted goods.  The increased age check requirement was developed as a way of giving staff a buffer zone should they not be able to accurately guess the age of a customer. This was on the basis that if you guess the wrong age at 25, you are less likely to make a mistake and serve someone underage than if you are guessing at 18.

Despite this buffer, it can still be intimidating for bar staff to make the challenge based on their own interpretation of a customers’ age. Why not take the responsibility out of their hands and automate it with an age verification system, so they are backed up in their decision-making?

Protect Your Business

Protecting the vulnerable and keeping gambling fair is the job of the Gambling Commission and the cornerstone of all regulation. It is also – put simply – just the right thing for us to do as businesses. But following the correct procedures and proving that we have followed them – then being able to provide the right data in a timely fashion – that can be a big ask.

You need to be able to show how many players you have challenged to verify their age, how many were able to prove their age and how many were successfully turned away. If you have players who have self-excluded, you need to be able to ensure that they are not able to play in your premises. All contact and actions taken will need to be recorded.

As if this isn’t challenging enough – there is GDPR to consider. The data held needs to be stored safely and anonymously. If possible, staff should be discretely notified in real time – so they can act immediately to intervene should someone who is vulnerable be on site and planning to play.

What to do next?

There are a number of solutions in the market that can help operators fulfil their legal and moral responsibilities towards their players and their data  – for example the portal developed by bacta. Most involve a certain amount of data entry from staff on site and specialist training. The MyCheckr anonymous age verification solution available from e-Service couldn’t be simpler to use. It automatically scans the faces of all those entering the premises and only alerts staff when it detects that someone appears underage. It can store a facial image locally for a period of time to allow staff to identify someone who may have entered the location undetected, provides data reporting facilities as standard and is fully GDPR compliant.

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16 August 2023

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