Player safety has shifted from a moral obligation to a measurable standard and is now under sharper focus than ever. As regulation tightens and real time data becomes essential, operators face growing pressure to act instantly and effectively. 

As Europe marks 2025 Safer Gambling Week, Flows VP of Commercial Dan de Souza shares how the the company’s automation platform helps operators move from reactive monitoring to proactive protection, connecting data, orchestrating instant interventions and creating full transparency across every player interaction. 

SBC News: Responsible gambling remains a major focus across the industry, yet operators still face challenges keeping pace with player behaviour. Where do you see the biggest gaps or weak spots in how RG is currently being managed?

The biggest gap is agility. Operators understand what safer play looks like, but the problem is, their systems can’t respond quickly enough. Player risk can escalate in seconds, yet many teams respond in hours. Many operators have the right intentions and policies, but relying on retrospective data or end of day reports means interventions happen too late to prevent harm.

The second challenge is data fragmentation. Data lives in systems, CRM, payments, back offices, creating silos that prevent a complete view of a player’s risk journey. Without connected visibility, RG teams are often operating without all the facts leading to inconsistent or misaligned interventions that erode player trust . 

SBC News: A lot of these challenges come down to process. When RG checks rely on manual reviews or delayed actions, what problems does that create and how can automation help solve them?

The biggest opportunity right now is using automation to deliver smarter, more proactive player journeys, but the real differentiator for operators is finding the right balance with meaningful human touchpoints. Automation should take care of repetitive processes, surface risks earlier, and keep journeys compliant by default. But when a player is vulnerable and frustrated, having someone on hand is key.

What I’ve seen across operators is that the most successful teams use automation to empower their employees. For example, real-time alerts or pre-built workflows can guide agents to the right action faster, but the empathy, context, and ethical judgement still come from the person behind the screen.

If you can get that balance right, automation handles scale and consistency, while humans provide trust and nuance. And in a regulated industry where player protection and brand reputation live or die by those subtleties, that’s where the real competitive edge sits today.

SBC News: Acting quickly is often the biggest challenge in responsible gambling. How does automation help operators detect and respond to risky player behaviour in real-time without adding operational strain?

For me, evaluation isn’t about proving an interaction happened, it’s about proving that behaviour changed. Take three failed deposits in quick succession, for example. Instead of simply logging an alert, automation can trigger a real time pop up that acknowledges what’s happening, offers support, or encourages a short pause.

The real test isn’t that the message appeared, but what happened next. Did the player slow down? Did deposits stabilise? Or did the pattern escalate? That’s the true measure of effectiveness.

Flows’ pop up messenger, FlowsWave, closes that loop. It delivers the right message at the right moment, tracks how the player responds, and shows whether the intervention actually reduced risk. If it didn’t, the workflow can escalate automatically to a human interaction. 

That’s the level of impact regulators are now looking for — not just contact, but contact that genuinely changes behaviour.

Every automated event in Flows is fully auditable, so operators can review the logic, timing and outcome of each action. And because every workflow is built through our no code builder, operators can adapt to new safer gaming initiatives instantly, without developer input or vendor delays. Every step is logged and traceable, giving both operational confidence and regulatory assurance.

SBC News: How can operators use automation not just to detect risk but to build a more preventative, data led approach to player protection?

Automation isn’t just about speed. It’s about intelligence. Every automated action creates structured data that feeds predictive risk models. Over time, operators can identify the behaviours that signal potential harm earlier and recalibrate thresholds and rules accordingly.

Flows enables operators to build smarter workflows, from automated deposit alerts that prompt short cooling off periods, to Safer gaming scoring models that flag early signs of risk, to workflows that detect potential advantage play or bonus abuse, all in real-time. This creates a continuous feedback loop of learning and prevention, not just reaction. 

We have customers that have seen around 40% fewer time outs and 15%  fewer account closures after introducing automated, data led interventions, along with higher player engagement and stronger retention. The results speak for themselves.

The same framework can extend include affordability and AML checks. By connecting data across departments, operators can create a unified picture of player wellbeing, looking at financial, behavioural and emotional elements rather than managing each within different departments.

SBC News: Many operators already use a mix of player safety tools. How does Flows complement and strengthen what they already have in place?

One of the biggest barriers operators face is the fear that new tools will add complexity rather than remove it. That’s why Flows was built to be simple to integrate.There’s no need for long development cycles or heavy onboarding, most teams can connect their data sources and start automating real use cases within hours.

That ease of integration matters because it allows operators to stay compliant, adaptable, and innovative without disrupting existing systems. Instead of replacing platforms, Flow layers on top of them. This in turn unlocks automation, and personalised safer-gambling journeys without forcing a deve;ppment backlog. It’s the simplest path for operators who want to modernise quickly while staying fully aligned with regulatory expectations.

SBC News: Looking ahead, do you see real time automation becoming a standard part of responsible gambling strategies, and how might that shape the industry’s next phase of player protection?

Without question. Reactive compliance is no longer enough. Regulators are already moving toward continuous monitoring and demonstrable, data driven protection. Players expect transparency and responsiveness that mirror the Amazon type of digital experience they are accustomed to.

The future isn’t about adding more tools or systems, but about smarter connections between them. Real-time automation empowers operators to identify, act and evaluate their protection efforts with precision. Those who adopt early reduce risk, strengthen trust and set the benchmark

With Flows connecting every signal, triggering every intervention and logging every action, player protection becomes an active part of the experience rather than an afterthought.

Safer gaming isn’t only a regulatory requirement, it’s a reflection of where we are today. Operators who embed these safeguards into their DNA show that protecting players and driving sustainable growth can go hand in hand. Automation doesn’t just protect players, it will future proof operators.