[Music] yeah [Music] hello viewers and welcome to the latest episode of the Huddle I'm Tim P editor of gambl inside and I'm here with Tom Banks head of corporate Affairs at Kindred group Tom thanks for joining us thank you very much thanks for coming along yeah we're here at the Kindred sustainable gambling conference uh to start off with can you tell us a little bit about the the event and and how it's uh how it's going so far maybe what's to come as well yeah absolutely look we're um we're in our seventh I think it's right seventh year of running this s gambling conference um it's growing every year it's a really really important uh event for us I think it's for a few reasons I think it's really good for us to bring the sector together not just operators but you know people will see throughout the day we've got lived experience we've got um experts from outside the sector around kind of affordability and other um Solutions and so it's a really good day for us to bring everybody together have conversations you know networkers we do at these things uh around the edges and it's you know we know from the growth of the event over the last seven years that people find it useful we hope they still do and yeah it's it's great to see so many you know familiar faces across the sector and and new ones too and yeah we're uh having a really good day and it's uh really important for us to to do it as part of our you know sustainability strategy as part of our journey towards zero this fits really nicely and always has done in terms of uh that and selfishly it's great to be having here in the UK uh and uh such an amazing venue as the oal we literally have the cricket pitch just out there so it's it's great to be yeah with the players training yeah um now we we last spoke uh we last had an interview at the uh regulating the game in London in September uh a lot has obviously happened since then for Kindred you had the fdj offer um uh who got new new Co leadership as well um as as a head of corporate Affairs someone at at this uh an organization going through a lot of change at the moment What's it been like for you the last few months yeah yeah no look lots of change I think um this is a sector that uh has a lot of change anyway and I think over the last few years both in the UK but lots of markets across Europe we are seeing change um look we're really positive uh the uh offer from Francis deer is obviously ongoing and uh you know we see as has been published in uh a lot of the kind of Public Communication there's a lot of synergy there you know I think uh if the deal goes through uh it will be a really exciting opportunity for for Kindred to um to continue its kind of positive trajectory and so really excited by uh by that uh I need to polish up on my French I do speak a bit um but yeah polish up a little bit more um and yeah the the business more broadly regulatory change obviously across Europe um the UK obviously we're here today yeah uh going through a lot of regulatory change as part of the white paper um and yeah we're um we're seeing a lot of uh but a lot of positive things and you know we're growing as a business and we're going in the right direction and uh yeah it's uh it's positive stuff yeah I was going to say your pronunciation of the company name was was quite good actually for for non French speaker um obviously you mentioned that the white paper and I think possibly the last time we spoke and I've done this a few times with different guests sort of said uh how long can we go without mentioning the white paper in the UK because it's it's obviously five minutes for us yeah um but from can you broadly speaking can you give us from from the operator point of view kind of where where you're at now and and what your kind of Impressions and Views are as a company of of the latest developments with the Y yeah well I think we're imminently going to get um the commission's response to the financial uh risk check um consultation and the marketing optin so I think that will happen that they've committed s Till by the end of the month I think so we'll get that uh imminently and so really looking forward to seeing that um I think obviously we've had the slot stake limit decision so that will be uh implemented in September um but beyond that obviously we still have consultations that have just closed on some of the kind of incentives and uh Tool uh military kind of uh RG tools and I think there's still probably more to run on some of the other ones so we're kind of we've contributed uh to the consultations we continue conversations with the government with Regulators with the trade Association uh and we're kind of trying to play our part in contributing to the conversation but other than the slot state limit we're kind of still really kind of waiting for uh some clarity I suppose on where we're going and I think um that's important I think now but clearly and I know you'll hear this from other operators but the uh the frictionless pilot and the uh affordability framework that's one of the most important to get right and if that takes a little bit longer for us to make sure that we go for a good pilot stage and uh get that right then so be it right like it's so important that we get that right so um yeah we got a long way to go still I think I was always of the view that the white paper being published was obviously a moment to be reliev that it's finally there but it was actually just firing the starting gun on uh on a lot of process to actually bring the policies to life and to bring them into regulation yeah is is there anything that could be done sort of better or smoother in this process um because you mentioned obviously maybe Clarity and and and and speed of of process but or is that essentially an inevitability with something soort this complex yeah I think it's hard I mean the the important thing is to get it right and I think the the the key of a white paper is that it kind of lays out where the government wants to go but it's sort of for the regulator government and operators and others to kind of then iron out exactly how that looks cuz you know there is still quite a bit of complexity to to get through and I think that's not just on affordability but on you know some of the marketing changes some of the you know incentives free bets and bonuses like it's it's actually quite complex and uh you know but it's all good and and important that we update the rules and get to a place where you know we are in a strong regulatory framework and yeah we you know we continue to support the process but it it's hard to Speed it along too much um partly because this process takes a long time and needs to be done in the right way um and so that's important it gives us space and time to contribute properly as well which we need to do as a as a sector yeah um a couple more areas for you and On a related note um the gambling commission is has I think it's definitely increased its kind of dialogue and its uh engagement with the industry so much so that Andrew rhs was was on a video interview with me recently he say they're talking to Media they they're talking to operators um the bething gaming Council AGM he he spoke which was the first time a g commission Co has spoken um I thought he came across very well quite quite firm U firm but fair um is that the kind of impression you're getting from the of the gambling Commission at the moment yeah look I think um that kind of dialogue is really important uh and you know we have seen from the creation of an industry Forum uh that's being uh will have its first meeting imminently and I think that dialogue's critical for the sector to engage properly with the regulator and I think where we can look at how other regulators and operator and um businesses deal with each other so whether that's you know banking sector with the FCA and uh on like that we want to try and learn from where they have good collaborative dialogue that's the best way to go about it right like we we want to make sure that um you know we're in a space where we can have kind of constructive conversations with the regulator you know where we have questions where we have uh where we seek Clarity so we've all noticed the yeah increasing uh collaborative nature of you know people like Andrew and and and Tim Miller as well who who we see out and about and it's great because it's good to hear what they have to say it's good to hear um their views on on what they think and I think you're right about the AGM at the BGC like firm but fair is totally right for a regulator you know they they you know they has to they have to take that approach um and so yeah we've we've welcomed it and you know long may it continue that there's that kind of approach to dialogue and approach to um communication with the sector yeah um a final question for me you you mentioned the the journey to zero the road to zero um we spoke about it obviously a few months ago as well um I mean obviously that's that's a general concept anyway but uh is there anything coming out of the the white paper in the UK that is perhaps affecting that journey and and obviously there's kind of um recently been a lot of discussion about data interpretation especially with sort of problem ging rates as well yeah so I think um most of the changes that we see coming through from the white paper will only have a if they're implemented in the right way will have a positive effect on that journey and you know we're seeing steady uh slow but steady progress in the Journey which always was going to be the case um but yeah we we think that good regulatory change will only help um and so you know whether that's changes to limits or um you know the some of the things around the affordability framework like that's only going to if it's implemented properly will only have a positive effect you think so yeah really um supportive of the process um I think yeah we continue to make good good and steady progress on uh on the jelly Squad ser and I think actually to bring It full circle events like today are are key to that where we you know learn and shape what we're trying to do as a result of you know we have a lived experience panel that was presenting today and I think their views and views of others is vital to to understand like what we can do different and tweak and tailor uh to make sure that we're on the right path yeah that that rounded picture obviously kind of operates Regulators that live the experience as well um I suppose it's an equal voice from from all parties really yeah exactly and I think you know we can't we don't have all the answers uh and you know we have a lot of technology and data and evidence to provide to the conversation and to provide to the solution but we can't do it on our own uh and it requires you know good regulation but also really valid and you know positive input from from people who have been through um harm related to gambling and so all of those things put together can help us uh make progress y well Tom thank you very much for your time as always and I'm sure we'll catch up again soon yeah thank you very much thank you thank you and to our viewers thanks for watching