The second quarter of 2021 has resulted in 4.3% of the total revenue Kindred Group saw coming from “harmful gambling,” according to the company. The shared results are part of Kindred’s strategy to reduce problem gambling, Journey Towards Zero.
Compared to the Q1 revenue in 2021, the revenue from harmful gambling has increased, but not by much. In the first quarter, harmful gambling was responsible for 3.9% of the total revenue. Even though the Q2 reports indicate an increase, this is not a rising trend. The results fluctuate each quarter as the 2021 Q1 results are equal to those of Q3 in 2020.
Kindred Reports Improvements in the Sector
Even though the Q2 revenue from harmful gambling has increased, Kindred stated there are some improvements, as its interventions figure rose by 0.03% between the first and second quarter. The data suggests the following: the interventions figure in Q2 was 76.9%, while the interventions figure in Q1 was 76.6%. This is a rising trend, as the Q4 in 2020 had a 75.7% interventions figure. But, unlike the revenue made by harmful gambling, a rising trend in the interventions is a positive sign here.
The CEO of Kindred, Henrik Tjärnström, commented on these results and stated that the company has been effective towards making the gambling market more sustainable. Tjärnström also added that the rise in revenue by harmful gambling was expected this year, but it does not stop them in their goal, which is reaching 0.
One of the ways through which Kindred ties to inform players on how to gamble responsibly is via phone calls. In 2020, the representatives of this company made around 55,000 calls in which they helped players understand harmful gambling better and become familiar with how to gamble responsibly.
These actions had a solid effect. According to Kindred’s reports, more than 75% of the players that were contacted by the representatives had a much healthier and more responsible gambling behavior. On this topic, Tjärnström states that the process of reducing harmful gambling is long and Kindred will do anything in its power to contribute.
Online Casinos May Contribute Towards Harmful Gambling
Online casinos have managed to record a massive rise in popularity in the past couple of years. These sites feature tons of casino games by the world’s greatest game providers. While they do have many benefits, these sites may be more dangerous than casino gambling.
Anyone who can access the Internet will be able to register and play at these sites. Since they are mobile-friendly, each player can access the games on the go. Not only that, but there are a lot of unlicensed sites that may not feature a consumer protection program. Since they can be accessed so easily, the chances of developing gambling addiction may be higher. This is why, when new gaming jurisdictions are brought online, gambling awareness and addiction are made a priority by regulators and operators.