The latest WrB London event, to be held at the OXO2 Tower, London, on October 17, 2018, deals with the very timely theme of ‘Responsible gaming, CSR and the bottom line.’ The term corporate social responsibility is more popular than ever, though its implications on specific business practices and strategies for profitability may not be clearly conceived.
According to organizers of WrB London, “This year more than ever before, the link between sustainability and profitability has become strikingly clear. In the wake of over £18 million [$23.4 million] in fines issued by the UKGC [UK Gambling Commission] for failures to protect customers from harm, and the looming threat of lost licences, corporate culture is shifting dramatically.”
The UKGC is made a welcome partner in initiatives to improve practices while also servicing customers and sustaining a business. WrB London said that it hopes “to change the tone of conversation around CSR from one of threat, to one of opportunity.”
The event will have a mix of industry players and regulators, to “bring you up to speed with the global commercial trend towards diversity, equality and responsibility, and equip you with practice tools to inform your CSR strategy.”
The first ‘Diversity and inclusion workshop’ will be held, whose aim is “knocking down barriers to inclusion for a more diverse workforce in gaming.” Due to limited spaces available, delegates interested in attending the workshop are requested to email [email protected] to indicate your interest.
The workshop will explore the connection between diversity and inclusion initiatives, and how companies deal with reputational issues and consumer trust.
Because women, black and minority ethnic (BME) and LGBT+ communities tend to be underrepresented in the gambling sector, the workshop aims to present ways to remove hindrances to participation. The role of regulators in this inclusive process is looked into as well.
Among those participating are myGWork’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisor Roianne Nedd, Bank Group HR Director David Balls, UN Global Compact Network UK Executive Director Steve Kenzie and Silverfish CSR Director Laura da Silva.
The WrB London event officially opens with a discussion on ‘Tracking European regulatory initiatives to enhance consumer protection.’ This will include specific ideas on what operators should do about regulatory fines, and an examination of the impact of a national self-exclusion register. Also studied are the effects of the liberalization of new markets on consumer protection, and Spain’s recently regulated online gambling market.
Moderating the discussion is Regulus Partners’ Dan Waugh, and among those speaking are UKGC Executive Director Tim Miller, the Spanish Directorate General for Gambling Regulation’s Susana Campuzano Fernandez, Malta Gaming Authority Deputy General Counsel Carl Brincat and Danish Gambling Authority Director Birgitte Sand.
Register for WrB London: Responsible gaming, CSR and the bottom line here.
