BetBlocker, the U.K.-based charity behind the popular responsible gambling software of the same name, announced a new feature to mark Safer Gambling Week 2020, which ran from November 19-25. The feature makes it easier for people to block online gambling activities via a calendaring function.
The new feature was developed to address feedback from both players and the industry that suggested that providing greater flexibility to users to control when the restriction switches on or off would make the service significantly more useful to a large number of people. The feature was developed with the understanding that, while some individuals are looking to block themselves from gambling altogether, others simply want help to manage their gambling in a responsible fashion by limiting their access at times that they feel they may be vulnerable.
Until now, the BetBlocker software has relied exclusively on blocking for a fixed length of time. Software users would block themselves from gambling for whatever period of time they felt comfortable with. From the start of the block until its conclusion, the user was prevented from accessing online gambling activities.
The new calendaring feature allows users to be more precise in blocking out desired times. By applying blocks to a calendar, they can designate specific days they know they should not be gambling, without simultaneously blocking all access to gambling activities.
For example, a person who knows his gambling habits tend to get out of control on the weekends can use the new feature to just block out Friday through to Sunday. The rest of the week remains open. Another person might decide to block out the first few days following their regular payday.
“Responsible gambling is about more than the binary option of do or don’t,” BetBlocker Trustee Duncan Garvie said. “It’s about helping ensure that people who enjoy gambling can access this activity in a safe and controlled manner. BetBlocker’s new calendaring feature is a leap forward for blocking software, extending the service from a simple on/off to a point where users can now tailor restrictions that suit their specific needs.”
