The Kindred Group has issued a statement indicating a dip in the percentage of income derived from risky gaming practices during the initial three months of 2022.
Over a 90-day period commencing on December 20, 2021, and concluding on March 19, 2022, 3.3% of earnings were generated by individuals participating in unsustainable gambling activities. This represents a decline from 3.9% in the first quarter of 2021 and 4.0% in the final quarter of the preceding year.
Kindred attributed this favorable trend to seasonal influences, as the initial quarter typically witnesses a year-over-year decrease in the proportion of revenue stemming from hazardous gambling. The company also highlighted the refinement of manual intervention procedures for high-risk clientele. Kindred further observed that this resulted in a reduced number of customers being re-identified following intervention.
The percentage of players displaying detrimental gambling habits but exhibiting improved gaming patterns subsequent to Kindred’s interventions attained 83.1%. This surpasses the figures recorded in the first quarter of the previous year (76.6%) and the fourth quarter of 2021 (79.2%).
Other noteworthy developments in the initial quarter encompassed Kindred’s revision of its post-intervention enhancement metrics. The metric no longer solely concentrates on financial indicators but incorporates behavioral indicators as well, aligning more closely with Kindred’s PS-EDS detection system.
Kindred remains wary of youthful individuals, particularly those in the 18 to 25 age range. Kindred asserts that this emphasis has led to a substantial reduction in the percentage of harmful revenue within this demographic.
“We concentrated on targeted distribution at the commencement of 2022,” stated Henrik Tjärnström, the chief executive officer of Kindred. “Our team is committed to further enhancing our manual interventions, which has resulted in more patrons exhibiting healthier gambling habits after being identified and contacted by our responsible gambling team.”
During the initial quarter, Kindred also collaborated with the team behind the RecoverMe application, which utilizes research-validated methods to assist users in regaining control over their gambling behaviors.
The application was co-founded by Tejus Patel, a junior medical professional at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and is now being provided free of charge to Kindred patrons, initially in the United Kingdom and the United States.
“Only 8% of problematic gamblers seek assistance due to the stigma associated with this dependency, the challenges in accessing treatment, and the lack of awareness regarding treatment alternatives,” said Patel. “The partnership between RecoverMe and Kindred is a crucial lifeline in aiding us in providing care to those who require it most.
“We firmly believe that collaborating with organizations like Kindred will assist us in reaching those who need support, who have historically been challenging to reach and access treatment.”
Tjärnström stated, “We take great pride in collaborating with the RecoverMe application group to provide this service without charge to all our patrons in the United Kingdom and the United States. We have also financed additional doctoral programs in addiction research, enabling these students to dedicate themselves fully to academic pursuits.
“Our primary focus at this time is on enhancing efficiency and expedition, reaching out to clients as promptly as feasible. Early intervention is essential in preventing detrimental conduct.”
Earlier in the current month, Kindred revealed that its revenue for the initial quarter of 2022 experienced a 30% year-over-year reduction, settling at £247 million. The operator attributed the £105 million revenue decrease to its choice to withdraw from the Netherlands.