RESPONSIBLE GAMING

Gaming and betting, if they are well regulated and fair offerings, are thrilling entertainment and gaming fun.

But they can also become an uncontrollable passion. For a small group of all those who like to enjoy gam-ing fun on a regular basis, gaming and betting can pose the risk of lapsing into an increasingly uncontrolla-ble behaviour that can lead to numerous problems. It is therefore important to guard against such develop-ments in time, in order to maintain the entertainment and fun aspects of gaming and betting.

For the Novomatic Group addiction prevention has always been a major concern and part of the company’s corporate social responsibility concept. We inform our guests about the potential problems and apply measures for the protection of minors and pathological gamblers with a modern and pan-European compe-tence network. But we also support self-help: Novomatic cooperates with research facilities such as the Johannes Gutenberg Hospital of the Mainz University in Germany and has set up a new free phone help-line together with the department for Addiction Studies & Addiction Therapy of the Medical University/ Uni-versity Hospital Vienna. Novomatic also helps to constantly expand the advice and prevention network of regional non-profit self-help groups.

Slot gaming via entrance control
As the first company in the industry Novomatic has succeeded in developing a model for slot gaming, that differentiates potentially pathological gamblers from the majority of the remaining guests: an electronic sys-tem that combines compulsory registration, entry control and observation through staff.*

The gaming area can only be entered through a turnstile barrier access control that can only be passed with a valid ‘NOVOCARD’. This NOVOCARD is a personalized membership chip card and can only be col-lected after registration via photo identification and proof of age.

Guests whose excessive gaming behaviour attracts attention are observed and informed over a three-phased period according to the Novomatic traffic-light system. If these measures do not succeed, a general ban can be imposed on the guest and his NOVOCARD will be deactivated. Beyond the regulatory require-ments, the guest has also the option of a self-imposed ban.

For further information and a self-test please visit www.gluecksspielsucht.at

If you have questions about our Responsible Gaming Programme, please feel free to contact us at responsible.gaming@novomatic.com  

* Due to varying provincial regulations this system is currently applicable in Lower Austria only.