Bencon and Sightline collaborate to promote responsible gambling

Sightline Payments has inked a new alliance with Bencon Technologies which is hoped to ensure that those at risk of problem gambling behaviours are denied access to gambling content and payment services in real-time.
The new partnership is set to bridge the gap between digital self-exclusion functions and the payments industry in the US, with the ultimate aim of protecting those who are susceptible to gambling-related harm.
“Sightline is in a unique position because our Play+ ecosystem, in the US, connects to nearly 100% of all digital platforms and 90%+ of all casino management systems, allowing for a uniform capability for a network-wide self-exclusion program through our SPAN Network,” added Kirk Sanford, CEO and Founder of Sightline Payments.
Following the repeal of PASPA last year, the gambling industry in the US has worked towards ensuring that prevention services are available to those susceptible to gambling-related harm. This has meant that regulator fines have been issued to non-compliant operators who have violated regulations in relation to self-exclusion policies.
Bencon is currently working alongside a number of jurisdictions in the US to integrate GameSecure into their Responsible Gaming Programs.
GameSecure’s real-time database solution will ensure that self-excluded patrons do not gain access to digital content once they have opted into the self-exclusion tool and by partnering with Sightline’s Play+ platform it creates another barrier to a patron’s payment activity.
“The Sightline team has been committed to responsible gaming for more than 20 years and we are very excited to announce this important partnership,” said Cameron Conn, Co-Founder of Bencon Technologies Inc.
“We strongly believe there is not a singular solution to completely address all aspects of player protection and responsible gaming, however, partnerships like these allow for better solutions that will give continued insights into at-risk behavior for improved responsible gaming programs.”
“The Responsible Gambling Council is pleased to hear about the partnership between GameSecure and Sightline.  We believe that safeguards are imperative to the success of any self-exclusion program,” stated Shelley White, CEO of Responsible Gambling Council in Canada.
Keith Whyte, the Executive Director of the US National Council on Problem Gaming adding: “Congratulations to Bencon and Sightline for this step to further integrate responsible gaming into payment methods for the industry.  Streamlining player protection is an important goal for the National Council on Problem Gambling, and we are pleased to support this innovative effort.”
“Self-exclusion programs have been in existence for years with the on-premise ATM providers, however, until now nothing has existed for the digital world which is where the industry is moving,” added Sanford.