Committed to addressing illegal gambling and related criminal activities while minimising any potential harm on society, EL has developed a Standard that aims to promote the adoption of best practices across the EL membership: the EL Responsible Gaming Certification.
During this interview with Jean-Luc Moner-Banet, CEO of Loterie Romande, we hear about the road to 5th Responsible Gaming certification. Congratulations!
Your lottery was certified for the fifth time during a global pandemic. How did the process differ from previous certifications? Did everything take place online? What are the biggest lessons learnt from such an experience?
The process was held partly in face-to-face sessions and partly online. The global pandemic taught us the importance of flexibility in our work patterns and the necessity to adapt quickly to a rapidly changing environment.
Could you tell us about your progress since the first certification? What has changed and how did you grow and learn in the past 12 years?
In 2009 when Loterie Romande carried out its first Responsible Gaming EL certification our Responsible Gaming program was based on a voluntary initiative. There was no adequate legal framework, as the law on lotteries and betting was introduced in 1923 it did not take into consideration problems related to excessive gambling. In January 2019 the Swiss Federal Gambling Act came into force and imposed a legal framework with numerous new legal requirements regarding protection of players. These new requirements represented a great challenge and an opportunity for improvement.
Reaching the fifth certification is a huge achievement. Did you set yourself specific goals this time and did you reach your expected results?
With the new Swiss Gambling Act, Loterie Romande invested strongly in the improvements of responsible gaming measures in 2019 and 2020. We were confident that those improvements would be beneficial in achieving the fifth certification in 2021, and this is exactly what happened. Continuous improvement is the key to a successful recertification.
What was the most difficult part of the fifth certification and how did you overcome it?
The most difficult part was of course the context of the global pandemic. There was a lot of uncertainty regarding the preparation and the organisation of the audit process. We had to be prepared for different scenarios: face to face meetings, online meetings and a mixture of both.
What was the added value for your lottery in being certified for a fifth time? For example, how does it influence your daily business - retail outlets, product development, relation with stakeholders?
The auditing process and the third-party assessment is an important added value for Loterie Romande. Certification provides external validation for our Responsible Gaming programme.
Internally, obtaining the certification is a reward and a motivation for all employees involved in providing players with a safe and healthy gaming environment. For our external stakeholders the certification process is also valuable, they appreciate being involved in the process and being interviewed by the auditor on their expectations regarding our collaboration in the field of players protection.
What advice do you have for EL Members who are about to start their fifth certification?
Start early! EL updated the Responsible Gaming Framework in September 2021. You will need extra time to analyse the changes and the new requirements in the Framework.
What tips do you have for non-certified EL Members who are completely new to the whole process?
EL has created a great Support Programme to help non-certified lotteries to start their first certification process. This is a huge opportunity to get useful information and advice from experienced persons so don’t hesitate to get in touch with your designated adviser and buddy to get as many help as you need!
