Entain’s AI-powered player protection tool, introduced in 2021, has seen a huge increase in uptake and has flagged hundreds of thousands of player accounts. [Image: Shuttetstock.com]

Entain AI protection flags hundreds

Entain’s AI-powered player protection tool has seen a significant uptake in players using the system, according to the latest ESG report from the company.

The tool, named Advanced Responsibility and Care (ARC), saw an increase in usage of over 98%, with ARC flagging up to 742,122 customers over the 12-month period.

ARC makes heavy use of AI models to assess players’ risk levels and draw attention to unusual behavior. Game selection, deposit and withdrawal sizes, session length, are among 26 “markers of protection” used by the model to monitor individual player accounts.

After being flagged, players are recommended various player protection features depending on their circumstances. They may be encouraged to set deposit or loss limits, or even be directed to self-exclusion tools and treatment programs.

98% of individuals identified as high-risk opted to implement at least one player protection feature

Overall, there were 8.7 million ARC interventions in the 12-month period, which resulted in 98% of individuals identified as high-risk opting to implement at least one player protection feature. For players identified as medium-risk, the figure was 65%.

UK regulatory landscape still uncertain

ARC was rolled out in 2021 across 27 jurisdictions for Entain’s online gambling offerings, and also operates in the company’s many retail outlets across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, including major bookmakers Ladbrokes and Coral.

The UK in particular has seen greater calls for gambling reform in recent years, with a consultation taking place when ARC was launched. A recent Freedom of Information request revealed that the consultation found heavy opposition to affordability checks from gamblers, and it remains to be seen how the recent change of government will affect the regulatory landscape in the country.

In a further effort to boost its contribution towards safer gambling (and with it, its ESG score), Entain increased its contributions towards Research, Education and Treatment (RET) of gambling to £18.7m ($23.7m). The move was part of an agreement in 2021 where the five largest members of the UK Gaming and Betting Council agreed to contribute 1% of their Gross Gaming Yield (GGY) per year for the purpose, up from 0.5%.

Entain withdraws from unregulated markets

Elsewhere in the report, Entain also confirmed that it now receives 100% of its revenue from regulated markets. The company had come under scrutiny from a UK government investigation into its activity in unregulated markets in previous years, and agreed to withdraw from all such territories other than those where it had a clear pathway to a license.

“The technology behind ARC leverages behavioral indicators, data science, and analytics to assess risk in betting and gaming, working behind the scenes using advanced artificial intelligence to learn and identify risks in player behavior,” stated the report.

These models are based on academic research and are constantly evaluated and retrained”

“To cover multiple elements of risky play, ARC uses three models to assess each individual player’s level of risk in real-time to help reduce risky behavior. These models are based on academic research and are constantly evaluated and retrained as necessary to further improve their accuracy.”