Sun International has launched a new charter, outlining how it promotes responsible gambling across both its online and land-based operations.
The Responsible Gambling Charter, announced by Sun International on Tuesday, includes a number of commitments that position responsible gambling as both a regulatory obligation and a business priority.
Sun International is the land-based leader in South Africa, where it accounts for approximately half of the market. Its online brand SunBet is live in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.
Sun International CEO Ulrik Bengtsson said the charter strengthened accountability by placing responsible gambling under board-level oversight, linking performance to executive targets and committing to annual progress reporting.
“The Charter informs players what they can expect from us and gives them a way to hold us to account,” he said. “Responsible gambling is overseen at board level, the measures are linked to our executive performance scorecard and we will report on our progress each year.”
What has Sun International committed to?
The charter was built on four key principles. These were player education, player protection, ethical and responsible marketing, as well as staff responsibility and training.
Perhaps the most notable of Sun International’s responsible gambling commitments fell in the responsible marketing category, with the company vowing to not display advertising between the hours of 6am and 8am, as well as midday to 6pm.
There are currently no watershed periods under South African gambling regulation.
Another voluntary commitment Sun made regarding advertising is to allocate 10% of its gaming advertising content to responsible gaming messages. Its advertising will not target minors or vulnerable people.
In regards to player protection, Sun said it offers self-exclusion across its platforms where the law and technology allow, alongside other tools such as limits and cooling-off periods.
Meanwhile, from 2027 Sun will utilise data analytics and AI-supported monitoring to flag problematic behaviour more quickly.
Underpinning Sun International’s responsible gaming commitments is a vow to enhance staff training, including a mandatory induction and role-specific training, as well as an annual refresher on how to intervene if necessary.
For the education pillar, Sun International also pledged to ensure that responsible gaming information is easy to find in its venues, as well as on its online platforms.
Player participation required
While Sun International laid out the protection measures players have access to, the company also noted their effectiveness relies on bettors choosing to use them.
Bengtsson stressed that providing safeguards is only part of the solution, with players needing to take responsibility for using the tools available to manage their gambling.
“Responsible gambling is a shared responsibility,” Bengtsson declared. “We cannot control every player’s behaviour, but we can make it easier for people to stay in control.
“On our online platform, limits, cooling-off periods and self-exclusion are available in one click from the home page. These tools can protect players, but only if they use them.”
This need for player participation is particularly apparent when it comes to the operator’s ban on activating an online account if a player receives South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) social grants or National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding.
As Sun can’t access SASSA or NSFAS records, it is entirely dependent on customers declaring their involvement when signing up for an account with the operator.
Bengtsson calls for enforcement against illegal operators
Bengtsson noted that while Sun International and other licensed companies are implementing measures to ensure players are betting responsibly, these actions aren’t taken by black market operators.
“Government, regulators and the licensed industry all have a part to play in keeping players in licensed channels, where they are protected,” he said. “We can improve our own standards, but we cannot protect people who gamble with unlicensed operators.”
Bengtsson also made reference to the South African government’s plans to prepare new gambling legislation, as well as the National Treasury’s proposal to implement a 20% national GGR tax for online gambling.
In his view, regulation and taxes must foster an attractive environment for licensed operators, which will lead to the vast majority of players being channelled into legal offerings that offer player protection measures.
“Rules or taxes that make licensed operators less competitive than offshore sites will push players towards platforms where they have no protection,” Bengtsson added. “We support responsible regulation that keeps players in the licensed market, where safeguards apply and gambling revenue supports the state.
“We believe firmly that South Africa needs a consistent national regulatory framework and we welcome moves in this direction. With government preparing new gambling legislation and National Treasury’s tax proposals on the table, now is the right time to have a serious discussion about responsible regulation.”
Kyle Goldsmith
Kyle has been with Clarion since December 2023, joining from the world of sports journalism, subsequently becoming a LatAm-facing senior reporter with iGB.