EPIC prepare for ground-breaking Hippodrome showcase
The Hippodrome Casino will provide the backdrop for EPIC Risk Management to showcase its brand-new safer gambling training for land-based casinos as ‘Beyond Compliance and Responsibility’ takes place at the iconic London venue this Wednesday (19th April).
An invite-only audience, comprising of UK casino CEOs and directors, together with heads of compliance and safer gambling staff will be attending. The afternoon promises to share insights on how EPIC has created a training programme that combines lived experience of gambling-related harm with research and evaluation to ensure that employees feel more confident when interacting with clients and are able to use these skills in the workplace to provide a smoother, more personalised customer experience.
EPIC have fused first-hand lived experience of gambling-related harm in casinos alongside decades of knowledge from staff working in such venues to provide a holistic training offering that helps staff to increase their understanding around approaching customers displaying possible signs of gambling harm – and indeed recognising the key signs – and providing a safer casino experience.
Jo Whitehall, sustainability manager at EPIC Risk Management who previously spent 20 years working in London’s casino industry, is leading Wednesday’s showcase of the new offering as part of an event that will also feature keynote speakers from both EPIC and the host venue. Detailing why it will be so beneficial to the many casino operators in attendance on the day, she explained:
“What is exciting about ‘Beyond Compliance and Responsibility’ is that it is a first-of-its-kind event in the land-based sector. It showcases a ground-breaking product where we have utilised the lived experience story to illustrate the warning signs of gambling harm, the kinds of behaviour that can be exhibited and the reasons why people can find themselves in this position. We have blended this with an understanding of the niche environment of working within the land-based gambling industry. These elements have unequivocally shaped the training into an impactful programme.
“The product is co-created and delivered by people who have gone from enjoying and being in control of their gambling to losing years of their lives through gambling harm.
“Many within this industry feel apprehensive about having conversations with customers around the topics of affordability and safer gambling practices, unsure of how to approach customers in the right way and fearful of ‘saying the wrong thing’.
“The uniquely developed training serves to aid both those in gaming and non-gaming positions. Although the assumption can be that harm is brought to light directly via the gaming staff, it is equally important to appreciate the role of non-gaming staff, who can be presented with harmful red flags in casual exchanges at the door, reception or bar. Consequently, it is vital to equip all staff with the tools to handle such conversations and information in a sensitive manner.”
Thanking The Hippodrome Casino and its staff for both being open to facilitating the pilot training and evaluation, as well as providing the venue this week’s showcase, Whitehall is delighted to be holding the event at the Leicester Square venue in conjunction with a forward-thinking organisation that understands the need for such training. She added:
“It is an amazing opportunity to host this event. The Hippodrome have been very supportive of the event and we were delighted that they worked with us to go ahead with the initial pilot programme. Their staff and all of the stakeholders that we’ve worked with within the pilot schemes have been very open and honest.
“I’m excited by this training and they have given us some amazing feedback to say how much they enjoyed it and how impactful they felt it was. We couldn’t have done this without the support of the Hippodrome.”
For those who are unable to attend Wednesday’s showcase but believe that their land-based casino could benefit from EPIC’s training programme, shaped by lived experience, contact info@epicriskmanagement.com to arrange an informal discussion regarding the potential product on offer to safeguard your customers.
