Ex-Playtech and William Hill heads link up for new safer gambling venture
Simo Dragicevic and Sarah Ramanauskas join forces to launch the Game Safety Institute to shake up research sector
Former Playtech exec Simo Dragicevic and ex-William Hill head Sarah Ramanauskas have linked up to launch a new safer gambling initiative.
The new venture, the Game Safety Institute (GSI), will act as a knowledge hub for the industry to provide expertise and insight into various gambling products.
The GSI said it will provide its insight to a range of stakeholders, including operators, suppliers, regulators, charities and academics.
Dragicevic, who founded BetBuddy, a pioneer in the use of AI to mitigate gambling-related harm, before it was acquired by Playtech in 2017, spent more than four years with the London-listed giant.
He remained as BetBuddy CEO until January 2021 when he shifted to become MD of Playtech Protect and head of Playtech AI.
Dragicevic also sits on the boards of both the Responsible Gambling Council and the Gambling Commission’s digital advisory panel.
Ramanauskas previously worked as Betfair’s head of customer intelligence between March 2008 and April 2010 before joining Hills as group head of customer insight.
She remained with the operator until May 2011 before transitioning back into the research sector.
Ramanauskas previously served as BetKnowMore chair on a voluntary basis and as commissioner for the Commission on Crime and Gambling-Related Harms.
Speaking on the launch of GSI, Dragicevic said: “Much of the focus of regulators, research and policy has been upon players, including their characteristics and behaviour.
“Less attention has been directed to the nature of the product and the complex inter-relation between player characteristics and contextual factors. The Game Safety Institute will address this gap,” he added.
Ramanauskas commented: “We believe the gambling industry and its regulators need to extend and improve their understanding of product risks and how best to mitigate these risks, in order to further help players avoid potential harms.
“Our aim is to provide actionable insight for gambling operators and regulators looking to ensure product safety is developed as an integral part of safer gambling.”