A recent flurry of new regulatory activity has re-enforced the importance of staying ahead of the curve when it comes to game design. How much do developers consider ever-changing regulations to ensure their games possess the delicate balance of social responsibility and engaging gameplay features to achieve commercial viability?
- Is there a specific checklist/roadmap that you work to during the development stages to ensure regulatory compliance?
Product compliance is one of the key tenets within our game design process. Before being offered to operator partners, each new game we develop passes through an internal review of features and visuals to ensure we are in line with regulations across the multiple jurisdictions we operate in. Our game framework’s flexibility allows us to apply dynamic changes according to particular markets, with feature switching available where applicable.
- How much, if any, involvement, or feedback do you have with the various authorities? Do you think a closer relationship would benefit game design and development?
We believe there is plenty of room to improve the communication and feedback mechanisms between regulators and game providers. Often, new regulatory frameworks are fairly vague and open to interpretation. This leads to time-consuming consultations with compliance teams, local law firms and partner casino operators until the full picture eventually becomes clear. All of this could be avoided, if we instead had an open dialogue with the regulatory body. This is something I believe the industry in general should strive for.
- Is a proactive attitude adopted in terms of predicting what requirements may be in the future, thereby minimising potential mitigatory work?
Staying vigilant is important, but it is not a bulletproof strategy. Markets regulate quickly and without much of a heads-up warning, so staying nimble is key. This is especially valid for the US market where being able to turn requirements around quickly is crucial. Speed to market is everything and I am proud that this is the culture we foster at Pariplay. Yes, we will be surprised occasionally, but we will always manage to shift focus and resources to meet any deadline.
- Do you have any past examples of specific responsible design elements and what else do see as potentially being key going forward?
The regulation of the German market caught a lot of companies by surprise. The combination of €1 max bet, a minimum of five seconds between spins, and no jackpots warrants a complete rethink of the game design strategy for the German market.
The upcoming UK Gambling Commission changes in October are also sure to shake up the market. Wins below the stake will be downplayed, which will affect players’ overall experience of the games. Game providers need to be creative and to introduce new features and math models that are engaging for players, while remaining compliant.
