Promoting diversification in educating Canadians to be responsible gamblers.
Founded in 1983 on the principle of promoting a healthy gaming environment, the Responsible Gambling Council of Canada (RGC) has spent the last three decades working towards the vision of a nation free of problem gambling. As telescopic as the goal may seem, it’s one the RGC takes very seriously. Yet, in those three decades, statistics don’t seem to be changing much.
It could be that their approach is all wrong. The All-In Diversity Project believes doing away with outdated modes and variegating their methods to match the variegation of those in need, could be the key to achieving ultimate success—at the least, for those who chose to seek it out.
Diversification in Education of Responsibility
With a new perspective and tandem mindsets, All-In and the RGC are teaming up to develop the next evolution in problem gambling prevention. As All-In’s debut appearance in Canada, team members will collaborate with RGC’s crew to brainstorm the fabrication of a new set of standards in respect to how the gaming industry and related businesses can embrace diversity in future responsible gambling efforts.
“Whilst the industry has done some great work in the area of responsible gaming and harm minimization, most has been based upon the behaviors of specific social and cultural groupings,” says All-In Diversity Project co-founder Christina Thakor-Rankin.
“Our partnership with the RGC allows us to start to explore how diversity and inclusion and a lack of social, economic, cultural or religious awareness and unconscious bias can lead to ‘blind spots’ in our approaches to social responsibility and harm minimization including the use of data science, machine learning and AI,” she explains. “Until then we can never truly protect all of our customers, only some.”
Helping All Canadians To Be Responsible Gamblers
It is the collective partnership’s belief that promoting diversity within the ranks will funnel outward to better recognition and an inherent understanding of all problem gamblers within a community—not just those who fit the historic profile of what a problem gambler looks and acts like.
“We believe it is vital to attract board members and staff that reflect the communities we serve,” RGC Chief Executive Shelley White rationalizes. “Understanding the needs and interests of people from different backgrounds enables RGC to offer regulators, operators and players, across the globe, relevant and meaningful responsible gambling strategies and programs.
The collaboration between AIDP and RGC should be a boon for the decades-old council, as well as those who seek help in preventing and treating problem gambling. Ms. White asserts that diversity and inclusion training will help them to “build an industry which treats all employees and players with respect and dignity.”
All-In Diversity Project More Diverse Than Meets the Eye
Although the AIDP was launched in 2017 on the premise of “benchmarking diversity, inclusion and workforce equality for the global betting and gaming sector”, they’re discovering that so much more can be accomplished by promoting these standards. In this case, it’s not just RGC employees and board members who will benefit from the lessons in equality and diversity. It’s the people in their communities. The people who need their help the most.
One of RGC’s longstanding values has always been to, “Build awareness and understanding of the risks associated with and the strategies to prevent problem gambling.” Becoming more aware and understanding of new, potentially more effective strategies for successfully educating Canadians as responsible gamblers falls well within that scope.
