Senet: the protection of gambling in Australia
2020 changed the world greatly. The global pandemic has impacted all spheres of our lives, social, personal, education, relationships, employment. Due to COVID-19, the gambling industry has undergone some changes as well. Online gambling skyrocketed during the pandemic all over the world. Almost 6 billion bets were made from home last year, that is an increase of 12 per cent. Australia has also seen the surge in online gambling. During the first months of coronavirus crisis a survey found that about 20 per cent of respondents started to play online pokie machines more often, when compared with the previous year. Therefore, Australian operators are diversifying their range of available entertainments. The number of new pokies is also growing at internet casinos. More exotic products offerings are being added.
Senet Assure
One of such products is Senet Assure. Senet is an Australian gambling law, regulatory, and compliance advisory. The company was established not long ago, in 2017. They know the gambling industry inside out and work both nationally and internationally. They are the first-class gambling specialists in Australia whose Principals have also worked at executive level within the industry. The company is focused on player protection and preventing and minimising the risk of gambling harm and financial crime.
Senet Assure and Senet Assure Premium are a special accreditation that are given only to those gambling operators who meet the highest industry standards and follow responsible gambling.
Paul Newson, a Senet regulatory and gambling specialist, said that the certification has come out just on time. The industry is coming across significant compliance challenges. “Our team has developed this accreditation based on our deep knowledge of the complexities and challenges in 2022 facing gambling operators committed to responsible gambling outcomes and staying a step ahead of criminal activity.”
Those companies that will manage to achieve Senet Assure accreditation will be able to display the Senet Assure certification badge on its website. This badge demonstrates that this operator is committed to responsible gambling behavior. Therefore, Newson said: “The accreditation is a way for industry leaders to demonstrate they are meeting the highest standards of accountability and exceeding best practice in protecting their customers and their staff in cultivating a workplace culture of compliance and social responsibility.”
At the time, he said: “Obviously there are other arguments to allow in-play betting. Relying on problem gambling to sustain a ban is fraught with difficulty. Speaking only for New South Wales, problem gambling has been at a static and quite modest level for the last 15 years. That’s not to dismiss it, it’s a very serious issue and the appropriate policy initiatives do need to be in place and improved over time to embrace technology.”
The Senet Assure assessment process
- Regulatory strategy, risk appetite and governance arrangements
- Responsible gambling obligations and related policies, and procedures
- AML/CTF obligations and associated organisational policies, and procedures
- Staff training and development
- Compliance culture
- Marketing and promotions
It means the Senet Assure first gather information and documents to understand the organisation’s strategy, governance arrangements, policies and procedures. Then they analyse all the documents collected, ask employees and senior managers and conduct targeted assurance activities. Site visits are also monitored. Everything is done in order to obtain information and insights, assess awareness of responsible gambling.
After that Senet comes out a comprehensive assessment report where they specify all findings and recommendations and determine whether the organisation deserves Senet Assure badge. Senet also prepares a detailed remedial plan to assist the company to meet Senet Assure eligibility requirements.
Since the number of online players is growing, the Senet Assure accreditation is something that can really help to distinguish trustworthy gambling websites.