Consumer protection showcase: Luke Sugden, Flutter Entertainment

“Gone are the days of operators shying away from safer gambling,” says Flutter’s director of risk and safer gambling for the UK and Ireland Luke Sugden. “What we are seeing is higher standards, more proactive progress and better collaboration.”

While it may not get everything right immediately, the gambling industry has shown its commitment to doing the right thing, he adds.

Flutter itself has looked to enhance what it was already doing, such as adding affordability conversations to safer gambling interactions, overhauling its customer monitoring strategy and providing new, in-depth training for frontline colleagues.

This is complemented by new initiatives. The operator trialled compulsory limits for Sky Betting & Gaming Customers, and implemented vulnerability checks. In Ireland it has raised its safer gambling standards, removing credit cards as a payment option, introduced a whistle-to-whistle ban for advertising and increased funding for research, education and treatment.