As Better Collective continues to enhance its focus on responsible gambling, Mindway AI and its Gamalyze tool is playing a key role in delivering an early risk assessment for players. That’s according to Rasmus Kjaergaard, CEO of Mindway AI.

As part of this month’s Better Collective Spotlight, Kjaergaard spoke with SBC News about Mindway AI’s Gamalyze tool and the ways in which it “provides tailored advice to the player based on the specific risk profile”.

SBC: For those who don’t know, what is Gamalyze and how does it work? 

RK: Gamalyze is a gamified self-test which analyses the behaviour players have while playing a small game. It analyses key decision making components to identify harmful gambling behaviour and then provides individualised and actionable advice based on the most important risk markers observed by the test. 

As a self-test, Gamalyze is unique because it 1) overcomes problems with self-report biases suffered by standard tests such as the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) 2) can be used to provide early risk assessment of the player, and 3) provides tailored advice to the player based on the specific risk profile.

SBC: What are the scientific principles Gamalyze draws upon? 

RK: Gamalyze is inspired by a scientific experiment developed around 30 years ago. Originally, the experiment was designed to investigate insensitivity to future consequences in patients with damage to a brain area known as the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. 

Later it was found that people with problem gambling share some of the same decision making deficits, which allows us to use Gamalyze to identify people who are at risk of developing problem gambling or already suffer from it. 

The risk profile presented to the player is estimated using advanced methods from cognitive science. Based on this, the test is able to infer specific neuro-cognitive risk markers of problem gambling such as hyper-sensitivity to rewards (i.e. having a high focus on winnings), which could otherwise only be observed by placing people in a brain scanner. 

SBC: Are there any disadvantages to self-reports? If so, how has Mindway AI alleviated these issues?

RK: No method is perfect, and all approaches will be associated with strengths and weaknesses. While Gamalyze produces strong insights into gambling related decision making and a player’s risk level, it does not directly consider potential negative consequences experienced due to gambling. 

To alleviate this, we have developed three supporting questions to players to supplement the test. Further, we recommend that Gamalyze is used together with our human expert-based AI solution, GameScanner, for the most thorough risk assessment of a player.

SBC: Better collective has recently started offering Gamalyze to its own employees. What is the reason for this?

RK: There are various reasons for this. First of all, working within the iGaming industry, it is important that all employees are familiar with the newest responsible gambling tools and knowledge available. Creating awareness about this helps employees consider responsible gambling in every aspect of their work, thereby creating the safest environment for all players. 

Secondly, working every day within the iGaming industry exposes employees to some risk of developing harmful gambling behaviour themselves. By offering employees a chance to evaluate their own gambling related risk-level, Better Collective is really just taking responsibility for the well-being of their employees.  

SBC: And how will this help to strengthen Better Collective’s focus on responsible gambling?

RK: Responsible Gambling should be a key focus area for everyone  who works in the iGaming industry. As a global market leader within gambling affiliation, Better Collective wants to enhance the focus on responsible gambling and drive stronger user protection; Mindway AI and its Gamalyze tool play a key to realising this ambition.