All Things Gambling: The Importance of prevention in achieving safer gambling

In the latest episode of the All Things Gambling Series, Casino Guru News has had the opportunity to catch up with Tracy Parker, a passionate advocate for safer gambling in the industry and the Director, Standards and Accreditation and Interim Director, Centre for Advancement and Best Practice.

The conversation focuses on the crucial aspects of harm prevention within the industry, tackling issues such as early intervention and treatment, and emphasizing how important both aspects are to creating a safe and sustainable environment in which consumers may feel safe and receive the help they deserve.

"A lot of the work we can do can maybe lessen the likelihood and the severity of harm. But at the end of the day when harm occurs, it needs to be addressed, it needs to be medicated," Parker notes in the interview.

Yet, maintaining a robust responsible gambling framework is not an easy undertaking either, as it takes continuous improvement, collaboration between stakeholders and ultimately what can be described as a holistic approach. Addressing gambling harm in its entirety is the surest way to move forward.

Parker compares a good responsible gambling framework to the role of a lifeguard who is surveying the swimming pool or sea for people showing signs of struggling. It ought not to be much different in the gambling industry, Parker muses, arguing that involved parties must always keep their eyes peeled for signs of difficulty or struggle in players just like a lifeguard would.

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