BCLC has proudly hosted the New Horizons in Safer Gambling Conference in Vancouver, B.C., since 2013. New Horizons is a hub of thought leadership, bringing together gambling industry professionals and international experts to help advance the knowledge and support for responsible gambling and player health everywhere. For this year's conference we are proud to have those same industry leaders return to discuss topics centered around a new and exciting theme.

SAFER PLAY: THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

What if we looked at safer play as an opportunity rather than an obligation? What if we focused on what we want to do rather than what we can’t change? As an industry, we know we can’t eliminate all harms from gambling, but we can certainly take steps to make it safer. Happy, healthy players who are having fun with their play are key to a sustainable industry and responsible growth. So how do we make safer play a competitive advantage? 

 Safer play can take many forms: it is gamifying tools that help players set limits; it’s choosing products where risks are reduced or mitigated; and it’s determining how to market to players of varying risk levels. Safer play is also about how we support our players through challenging conversations, and understanding how to interact with those who demonstrate high-risk behaviours.  

Plain and simple, safer play is good for business. So, let’s shift the conversation. Let’s make safer play the competitive advantage.  

This year’s New Horizons Conference will explore the best and promising practices in the safer play journey. We welcome you to join us at New Horizons as we explore these four key areas of the safer play journey: acquisition, player growth, player retention and support. 

ACQUISITION  

• How do we market player health as a competitive advantage?  

• How do we incentivize safer play amongst players and operators?  

• How do you minimize the risk of targeting players who are likely high risk?  

• Do we understand what players need to successfully engage in safer play?  

GROWTH  

• How do we engage with players early in their journey to educate and support safer play? 

• How do we leverage AI and behavioural analytics tools to nudge players to safer play?  

• One size does not fit all – how to address player health issues from specific communities? 

• How can we personalize player health?  

RETENTION  

• Keeping the play safe.  How can game design impact safer play?  

• Sustainable play for single event sports betting  

• Gamifying tools – how to make safer gambling tools parts of the player experience? 

SUPPORT

• How do we determine when and how to interact with players to ensure a positive player experience that enables safer play?  

• How do we overcome the barriers and challenges to effectively support players? 

• What are the pitfalls to avoid when implementing strategic supports?  

• How do we support players at multiple points in their player journey?