Entain revealed that its player protection tool Advanced Responsibilty and Care (ARC), saw an increase of 98% in the player adoption in 2023 in their 2023 ESG Report.
During this period, the player protection program, launched in 2021 and available online for 27 jurisdictions out of 34 potential markets, has been rolled-out across all of these territories. In 2023, a retail version was also launched in Entain stores in UK and Ireland.
During the past 12 months, 742 112 clients have used this programme. ARC stands for Advanced Responsibilities and Care. It uses AI in order to reduce risk among players.
In 2023, the number of player protection interventions will increase by 98%.
ARC utilizes three AI models for assessing players’ levels of risk. The system can recommend or flag players for implementing various features, such as payment method limitations, large deposits, session lengths, and unusual deposit methods.
When problematic gambling habits are identified, the player protection tool may also be used to offer more effective prevention and treatment programs. There were 8,7 million ARC intervention in total over the course of this year. This is up by 98% compared to 2022.
Entain stated that ARC also contributed to a rise in the adoption of safer gambling controls by players in 2023. 98% high-risk gamblers set at least one feature. For players with medium risk, 65% implemented at least 1 control.
Funding for research and treatments is boosted
Entain, as part of their ESG initiatives, donated PS18.7m or 1% its Gross Gaming Yield (GGY) to the UK in order to fund research, education, and treatment for gambling addiction in 2023.
The UK Betting and Gaming Council announced that its five biggest members, which included Entain in the UK, have pledged in 2021 to increase their contributions annually to RET, from 0.5% of GGY to 1% by 2023.
The report stated that “our approach to sustainability was underpinned by the new corporate strategy which highlights sustainability as an important enabler for long-term success in business”.
Cybersecurity is a priority
In 2023, a comprehensive review of ESG identified cybersecurity and player protection as two key priority areas. These findings were presented as a ranking of the challenges, based on their impact both for the company and its stakeholder.
Entain stated that cybersecurity is its fourth most important sustainability concern.
In 2023, a greater focus on security led to the launch of new security features including multi-factual authentication for customers as well as AI-based systems that can uncover malicious patterns and prevent attacks against customers.
Entain plans to introduce a new AI policy this year. It is also working on preparing itself for the upcoming legislation, namely, the EU Artificial Intelligence Act.
In the report, it was revealed that 3.2% of a firm’s budget for technology was allotted to cybersecurity by 2023. This figure was not previously reported.
The average time to repair cybersecurity vulnerabilities has dropped by 65% since 2022.
Revenues at 100%
Entain’s revenue from regulated markets reached 100% in December 2023. This is up from the 99% of 2021 and 2020. Entain was forced to withdraw from unregulated markets in Turkey after an investigation by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs into its operations.
It held 34 licenses as of December. The company is still active in six countries where “we can see a clearly defined regulatory pathway that will allow us to get domestic licenses within the next two-years”: Austria, Brazil Chile, Finland Mexico and Peru.
The environmental goals include achieving net zero emissions by 2035. In 2035 the goal is to cut Scope 1,2 emissions and material Scope 3 by 90 percent compared with 2020.
The group’s Scope 1 emission levels will increase by 20% in 2023 due to acquisitions. Scope 2 emissions also increased by 10.6%.
Virginia McDowell is the chairperson of Entain’s Sustainability and Compliance Committee. She explained that the materiality assessment was updated to align with the double-materiality principle.
This helped us better understand the unique risks and opportunities we face in terms of sustainability, as well as our impact on society and environment. We gathered input from more than 250 stakeholders, both internal and external.
