Paddy Power Betfair have announced that they are going to add new tools to its intentional online betting websites to try and help curb problem gambling. The new tools have been created to offer some support and assistance to people struggling with gambling addiction and this is a big fight that the industry is starting to step up in.
Among the tools, there will be a limit to just how much customers can lose through their betting over a period of time. The players themselves will be able to set daily, weekly and monthly limits on their maximum stakes, which will help in the controlling of spending limits.
As well, Paddy Power Betfair will be offering punters a complete history of their accounts and transactions, which they hope will bring about a clear ‘reality check’ if the user sees their spending habits are starting to get out of control. The operator was keen to stress that it wants a positive and enjoyable experience for players on their website.
Colin O’Gara, a consultant psychiatrist from Dublin’s Saint John of God Hospital, reported that offering information about losses to punters could well help to stop addictions in their tracks, citing that gamblers have a ‘distorted view’ about how much they wager and lose over time.
