Ahead of Tuesday’s members webinar outlining the implementation of the trade association’s new player prompt system, Bacta President Joseph Cullis, Director of Communications Allaster Gair and Head of SR and Compliance Simon Bradbury explain the enhancements being made to self-exclusion and how the ongoing work taking place with the Gambling Commission forms part of a wider strategy to ensure that customer safeguards remain front and centre stage.
Coinslot: What has the response been to the data sharing agreement with Boomerang – what impact will it have and how significant is it?
Joseph Cullis: The response has been really positive because people understand this is a meaningful strengthening of self-exclusion. It makes the system more joined-up and more robust across the sector, which is something we’ve been working towards for a long time.
Allaster Gair: It’s significant because it improves consistency and visibility across participating venues. It is not about one single measure solving everything, but about strengthening the overall framework and making self-exclusion more effective in practice.
Coinslot: Bacta is holding a webinar on Tuesday regarding the implementation of the new player prompt system – why is it important that members participate, what will the webinar comprise and who will be participating?
Allaster Gair: It’s important because this is a practical operational change and we want implementation to be consistent across our sector. The webinar will explain how the player prompt system works on compatible B3 machines, the rollout process, technical considerations and what venues need to be aware of. There will also be opportunities for members to ask questions directly.
Simon Bradbury: It is really about making sure operators feel comfortable and confident with the implementation side of it.
Coinslot: Can you explain Bacta’s broader commitment to player protection and what it comprises: should the webinar be seen as a component part of a bigger picture?
Joseph Cullis: Absolutely. This webinar is one part of a much wider programme of work.
Allaster Gair: That wider work includes strengthened self-exclusion processes, venue messaging, staff training, compliance engagement, data sharing improvements and ongoing exploration of technologies such as facial recognition.
The aim is to create multiple layers of protection rather than relying on any one single measure.
Coinslot: How have you been working with the Gambling Commission about strengthening safeguards – do you feel that we are all aligned and on the same page?
Allaster Gair: We engage regularly with both the Gambling Commission and DCMS on these issues and those conversations have been constructive.
There is a shared recognition that our land-based venues are supervised environments where meaningful interventions can take place face-to-face.
Simon Bradbury: We all broadly share the same core objective, which is strengthening safeguards and maintaining confidence in the regulated sector.
Coinslot: What’s the broader context of the player prompt system – what has prompted this latest initiative?
Joseph Cullis: The wider focus across government and regulation has increasingly been on strengthening self-exclusion and player interaction measures. The player prompt creates a direct intervention at the point of play by asking customers to confirm they are not self-excluded before beginning play.
Simon Bradbury: It is about making safeguards more visible and more immediate. We want protections to be practical, prominent and difficult to overlook.
Coinslot: A recent Bacta Pulse finding showed that an overwhelming majority of members felt that existing player protection undertakings were sufficient – how do you respond to that opinion?
Joseph Cullis: I understand why members feel that way because operators already invest significant time and resource into player protection and take their responsibilities very seriously.
Allaster Gair: But safeguarding cannot stand still. The question is not whether protections are already strong, but whether they can continue improving and evolving. Expectations from government, our regulator and the public continue to develop and the sector has to move with that.
Coinslot: Do you think that Bacta’s undertakings on player safeguards reflect the political mood and are in-step with the attitude of the government?
Allaster Gair: Yes, I think they do. The political direction is very clear: government and our regulator want to see practical, demonstrable player protection measures in place.
Joseph Cullis: Our view is that the regulated land-based sector should lead in this space and continue demonstrating that it takes these responsibilities seriously. That is better for customers and ultimately better for the long-term future of the sector as well.
The Bacta Webinar – Self-Exclusion Player Prompt – takes place Tuesday 2nd June at 2.30pm. The webinar link has been shared with members via the Bacta Presidents Update
No time to stand still
Allaster Gair said……. “Safeguarding cannot stand still. The question is not whether protections are already strong, but whether they can continue improving and evolving…
Raising the safeguarding profile
Simon Bradbury said……. “It is about making safeguards more visible and more immediate. We want protections to be practical, prominent and difficult to overlook……
Focus on self-exclusion
Joseph Cullis……. “The wider focus across government and regulation has increasingly been on strengthening self-exclusion and player interaction measures….…
Originally published on Coinslot on June 1, 2026. Republished with permission.