LONDON – Allwyn is pleased to announce Dr. Mark Griffiths, psychologist and distinguished Professor of Behavioural Addiction at Nottingham Trent University, as the latest appointment to its advisory board providing support to Sir Keith Mills as part of the company’s bid for the Fourth National Lottery Licence. Dr. Griffiths will work closely with Sir Keith Mills to advise on player protection safeguards while developing close relationships with other researchers studying the fight against gambling addiction.

As one of the leading experts in his field, Dr. Griffiths brings a wealth of experience from 34 years of academic study. In recognition of his cutting-edge work, Dr. Griffiths has been the Director of the International Gaming Unit at Nottingham Trent University for over 20 years. Outside of academia, Dr. Griffiths has advised governments on gambling addiction and mental health. In 2016, he joined the World Health Organisation’s Expert Advisory Group on Adolescent Technology Use, which is a crucial emerging area of academia that tackles the root causes of technology-related addictions including gambling and gaming.

Dr. Griffiths’ pioneering research will bolster Allwyn’s impressive data-driven approach to player protection, with its sister companies across Europe already employing market leading technology that quickly identifies problematic behaviour. This includes MENTOR, a software system co-developed by Dr. Griffiths that uses personal messages to notify players of unusual changes in their playing behaviour and informs them what they can do about it.

Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Griffiths said: “I embrace advisory roles because I believe it’s the most effective way to improve swift intervention by forging closer collaboration between operators, charities, campaigners and experts. I’m partnering with Allwyn because their sister companies have proven to be industry leaders on player protection across Europe, while their early backing of raising The National Lottery’s age limit demonstrated their serious engagement with the UK regulatory environment”.

Allwyn’s Bid Chair Sir Keith Mills added: “Dr. Mark Griffiths is one of the world’s foremost experts in the field of gambling addiction and player protection, and his insight will be invaluable to our bid. We both believe that lotteries should be the benchmark for how best to protect players in today’s digital world, and that this can be achieved by using technology to facilitate the sharing of better information. Player protection sits at the heart of our parent company’s lottery operations across Europe, where they have experience of developing tailored solutions for especially vulnerable social groups. By appointing Dr. Griffiths to our advisory board, we will continue to set the standard on player protection in the industry, and I look forward to working with him and the rest of our fantastic team to present a plan that makes the National Lottery both exciting and safe for all its players”.  

Allwyn’s compliance and player protection lead Anna Dearlove added: “Throughout the many years of working in my field I have consistently admired the work of Dr. Griffiths. We are delighted to have him join our advisory board and I look forward to working together closely in the future”.

About Allwyn

Allwyn is the UK trading name for SAZKA Group, one of Europe’s leading lottery operators. Led by a sector-leading UK team and international experts, Allwyn embraces the power of digital to grow lotteries and make them better.

About Dr. Mark Griffiths

Dr. Mark Griffiths is a Chartered Psychologist and Distinguished Professor of Behavioural Addiction at the Nottingham Trent University, and Director of the International Gaming Research Unit. He co-founded the charity GamCare in 1997 and was GamCare’s Chair of Trustees for eight years (1997-2004). He is the co-developer of GAM-GaRD, a gambling risk tool that has been used by over 50 leading gambling operators and regulators to minimize gambling-related harms. He is internationally known for his work on gambling, gaming, and behavioural addictions.

He has published over 1100 refereed research papers, six books, 160+ book chapters and over 1500 other articles. He has won 23 national and international awards for his work including the John Rosecrance Prize (1994), CELEJ Prize (1998), Joseph Lister Prize (2004) and the US National Council on Problem Gambling Lifetime Research Award (2013).

Mark is also an active freelance journalist, having appeared on over 3500 radio and television programs, while publishing more than 350 articles in national and international newspapers and magazines.

About SAZKA Group

SAZKA Group is a national lottery, instant lottery and digital gaming operator, with trusted brands and industry-leading technology delivering €2.0 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2020. Established in 2012, SAZKA Group is already one of Europe’s largest and fastest growing lottery companies and our strong performance across our markets is helping to fund good causes in the Czech Republic, Greece, Cyprus, Austria, and Italy. 

Since entering the lottery market in 2012, SAZKA Group has quickly expanded from the Czech Republic into four other European markets. SAZKA Group has consistently taken on established lotteries and made them better, while also expanding into new market segments through market-leading technology platforms. The Group’s unique experience of operating in different jurisdictions enables it to adopt a tailored approach to customer experience in each market, helping to increase sales and returns to good causes.

Responsible gaming and funding good causes are at the heart of SAZKA Group’s business and culture. It promotes responsible gaming in all of its markets and is committed to having a positive impact where it operates. From building children’s hospitals in Greece to support for the Czech Olympic Foundation, SAZKA Group has put its business skills to the benefit of the local community. 

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