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We kick off with Jon and Fintan joined by Naomi Barton, portfolio director at Clarion Gaming. They discuss the upcoming iGB Live! event in Amsterdam and the plans for the event in London in 2025. They also talk about the importance of face-to-face networking in the iGaming industry and the various activities and parties that will be taking place at the event. The conversation also touches on running as a way to balance a busy life and the anticipation of Jon's upcoming school reunion. IGB Live is the biggest event in the iGaming industry and is expected to be even bigger this year with a 30-40% increase in pre-registrations. The event will feature new areas such as the Launch Pad for tech startups and the Sustainable Gambling Zone to support operators earlier in the player journey [0:00 – 27:53].

"Regulate the product, not the player."

Then we’re joined by the eminent Sarah Ramanauskas, of the Game Safety Institute, who has had even more brilliant ideas about how we can change our approach as operators and suppliers to ingrain a more effective and relatively invisible level of RG and player protection. The conversation revolves around the idea of incorporating safety features into gambling games to promote responsible gambling. We discuss the concept of providing players with more information and warnings within the game itself, rather than relying on external responsible gambling measures. They suggest incorporating features like health bars, bet limits, and prompts to help players make better decisions. The conversation also touches on the challenges of implementing these features in the gambling industry and the need for long-term thinking and player-centric design. The conversation covers various topics including the appeal of jackpots in slot games, the need for clearer explanations of jackpot odds, the role of regulators in product safety, the potential of psychedelic substances for mental health treatment, and the value of a broad education.

In a nutshell:

• Incorporating safety features into gambling games can promote responsible gambling.
• Providing players with more information and warnings within the game itself can help them make better decisions.
• Features like health bars, bet limits, and prompts can be incorporated into games to enhance player safety.
• The gambling industry should prioritize long-term thinking and player-centric design.
• Implementing these features may face challenges due to short-term financial considerations and the need for industry-wide adoption. Clear explanations of jackpot odds can help slot players make more informed decisions.
• Regulators should focus on regulating the product rather than the player.
• Psychedelic substances like mushrooms and ketamine show promise in treating mental health issues.
• A broad education that includes the humanities can provide valuable skills for any career.

Choice quotes:

"Why don't we try something different? Like actually put stuff in the product to make the product safer – rather than saying put your seatbelt on, why don't we just build airbags?"

"Incorporating more things into the actual play model makes far more sense than just doing your regulatory stipulation, meeting your license requirements and putting the onus on the player."

"Regulate the product, not the player."

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