The Kindred Group has reported that its income from risky wagering in the final quarter of the year decreased compared to the previous year. Simultaneously, they have introduced a new program in the UK aimed at promoting responsible gambling.
In the last three months of 2022, the Kindred Group’s revenue from risky gambling represented 3.3% of their total income. This is a decrease from the 3.8% recorded in the previous quarter and aligns with the 3.3% observed in the initial two quarters of 2022.
The Kindred Group stated that these results deviate positively from typical patterns. High-risk gambling usually rises in the final quarter due to holiday periods. However, the 3.3% recorded in the last quarter of 2022 was lower than the 4.0% observed in the previous year.
The Unibet operator attributed this reduction to their enhanced strategy targeting younger groups. This strategy aims to minimize risky gambling and improve existing interventions, leading to fewer inaccurate customer identifications.
The Kindred Group also highlighted that in the final quarter, their responsible gambling team reached out to 82.1% of identified customers whose gambling behavior had shown improvement. However, this figure is lower than the 82.6% achieved in the previous quarter, the 84.7% in the second quarter, and the 83.1% in the first quarter.
“I am pleased to observe the percentage of income from risky gambling continuing to decline,” remarked Henrik Tjärnström, the CEO of Kindred Group.
Although, when we examine the patterns over the last two years, it’s evident that there’s still significant variation and the trajectory hasn’t stabilized as much as we anticipated.
Despite our best endeavors, we haven’t witnessed the advancement needed to reach our 2023 objectives. Nonetheless, we remain steadfastly dedicated to our “zero journey” and are diligently working to accomplish the challenging tasks necessary to attain this objective.
We recognized from the outset that we wouldn’t resolve this instantly, and continue to acknowledge the intricacy of this endeavor. That being stated, we’re pleased we established an ambitious target, as it’s been a catalyst for our development and propelled us to accelerate our endeavors.
This information arrives after Kindred, in collaboration with Svenska Spel and ATG, unveiled the initial set of data on their responsible gambling operations in Sweden last month, an initiative to enhance transparency in the nation.
Kindred stated that between July 1 and December 31, 2022, 0.5% of all active patrons in Sweden were contacted due to suspected and identified problematic gambling.
Of those contacted, 76.8% curtailed their gambling and 75.5% decreased their average deposits. Approximately 1.4% of customers opted to self-exclude from gambling for less than six months, and 0.5% opted to self-exclude for more than six months.
In related news, Kindred announced details of its new “Zero Journey” team, a pilot project spearheaded by a team in the UK.
A group of professionals and individuals with firsthand knowledge from all aspects of the betting industry has been assembled.
The initial members include BetKnowMore, DealMeOut, and Epic Risk Management. Responsible Gambling Advisor, former Kindred Head of Responsible Gambling and Research, Maris Catania, has also joined the group.
This team will ensure Kindred stays on course in its pursuit of “Zero Goal” by relying on expert advice and guidance from its members. It will serve as a platform for discussion and recommendations to enhance progress towards Zero Goal.
“We want operators to be bold in safer gambling and encourage cooperation throughout the industry to achieve this objective,” said Daniel Spencer, Head of Safer Gambling at Epic Risk Management. “We are thrilled to provide this further consumer insight, which will ultimately lead to better player protection.”
Jordan Lea, CEO of DealMeOut, added: “The ‘Zero Goal Journey’ group is a significant and innovative initiative. It is an honor to support it, and it will offer a great opportunity for many experienced individuals from across the industry to ensure that Kindred can best prevent gambling harm.”
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