Bethard becomes one of first UK operators to impose customised deposit limits on players
Limits calculated based on income and average fixed expenses for players like rent and bills
Bethard has become one of the first operators in the UK to impose customised deposit limits on its customers, with the Scandinavian firm saying it wants to go “above and beyond” regulatory requirements in protecting players.
The firm has begun imposing limits based on a customers’ income, and fixed expenses that an average individual might have, including rent, travel costs and utility bills.
“The question we ask ourselves before taking a decision is, considering the income earned by our customer, how much can the customer realistically afford to spend on gambling?” Bethard CEO Erik Skarp said.
Skarp said the process was based on the UK Gambling Commission’s Enforcement report for 2018-2019 where data on annual gross earnings in the UK was collected by the Office for National Statistics.
“This report was eye opening and gave us insight into how to calculate affordability and healthy levels of play,” Skarp added.
Erik Skarp, Bethard CEO
The imposition of deposit limits by the operator rather than the player is a new concept in the UK but more common in Sweden, where operators have access to public tax data to help them asses income levels.
“We strive to go above and beyond what is expected of us in order to ensure that our vision to be a responsible, transparent and accountable operator is fulfilled to the fullest extent possible,” Skarp said.
The firm also offers runs a problem gambling pop-up quiz on its site where players answers a series of question to check whether they may potentially be at risk.