BOYLE Sports director on prioritising “human connection” when treating problem gambling

In an age where it seems every sector is starting to become overrun by the presence of technology, data and AI, it would make sense for the practice of safer gambling to go down the same route. And while those factors absolutely play a part in operators helping to reduce gambling harms, BOYLE Sports has revealed that it has doubled down on the human element in this area. Hayley Smith, Group Compliance and Risk Director at the Irish bookmaker, tells SBC News that “creating a genuine human connection with our customers” is at the heart of its support. Hayley Smith. Credit: LinkedIn “We prioritise creating a genuine human connection with our customers, alongside our technology, which gives us more opportunity to identify problem gambling behaviour through talking to them,” she says. “We place huge importance in someone being on the other end of the phone in addition to online support and have invested in our team to allow us to support our customers in that way.” Why BOYLE Sports needs a responsible gambling focus Gambling addiction continues to be much of a taboo topic, particularly in the UK, a market where BOYLE Sports has been expanding over the past few years. There’s nuance when discussing this too, it differs significantly from other addictions and also tends to come alongside another struggle which a person is suffering with. The latest Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) – a survey which has been heavily criticised for its reliability – showed that the amount of problem gamblers in the country dipped year-on-year in 2025 to 2.4%. Data from NHS England earlier this year estimates that 5% of adults in England display at-risk or problem gambling behaviours, but under 1% of adults are currently classified as problem gamblers. Even though that is a miniscule percentage, 1% is still over 500,000 people, making it a problem more than worthwhile addressing. Operators in the UK have been taking this more seriously in recent years – take Flutter Entertainment’s work with EPIC Global Solutions or Entain’s partnership with Better Change. BOYLE Sports can be added to that list, as Smith explains: “We recognise that individual circumstances and levels of risk can vary. “We therefore maintain a comprehensive framework of safeguards, guidance and support designed to help customers manage their gambling, remain in control and adopt a balanced approach to their use of our products. “Our team has developed great resources and signposting of tools for our customers to use if they are looking for advice or to understand more about their gambling behaviour. This includes spend limits, reality checks, taking a time out and self-exclusion.” The advantages from an omnichannel approach BOYLE Sports has been making significant strides in the markets of the UK and Ireland over the last 12 months. This was aided by a £100m investment last year, which helped the company progress on various fronts. The opening of a 400th BOYLE Sports shop was a significant milestone, there have been upgrades to its sportsbook and the business has continuously referenced its advancements to its technology suite. It would be easy to think of omnichannel betting as posing more challenges for responsible gaming, with retail and online requiring different approaches. BOYLE Sports, however, believes that it has found a bridge between the two. “Our omnichannel approach gives us a unique advantage by combining technology-driven insights with the value of human interaction,” Smith tells SBC News. “Our technology can identify and flag changes in customer behaviour across our digital and retail channels, while our teams can add the important personal perspective that data alone cannot provide. “Regular face to face interactions in our stores can help our colleagues understand a customer’s behaviour, circumstances and changes in their activity, providing valuable context alongside the alerts generated by our technology. “With a single customer view, these insights can be brought together across our retail and online teams, enabling us to identify potential concerns earlier and make more informed decisions about when a customer may benefit from support or meaningful interaction.” Spreading out the investment As mentioned above, a plethora of firms as well as BOYLE Sports are now looking to improve their expertise in the responsible gambling field. They’re all also fighting the battle against stricter regulation and increased taxes as their bottom lines are squeezed. For BOYLE Sports to be operationally and financially sound, multi-million-pound improvements in technology, marketing and general expansion are necessary. But so is investment in the BOYLE Sports Responsible Gambling team, which Smith says has been the key improvement at the firm in her opinion. “The business has experienced exciting growth across all areas, but for me the most important investment has been the significant growth of the Responsible Gambling team,” she says. “While many other businesses continue to take their focus away from the human touch, we have doubled down on it – we understand that it’s our people that make the most impact to our responsible gambling function. “Alongside this, we have introduced an exciting new platform that provides our safer gambling team with a single, centralised view of the customer. “This allows us to respond more quickly and accurately where it matters most, ensuring our Safer Gambling specialists can spend less time navigating systems and gathering information, and more time using their expertise to support the customers who need meaningful interactions the most.” Collaboration and reducing stigma a necessity The conversation around responsible gambling has only been heightened since the Gambling Commission announced that it has a plan to implement Financial Risk Assessments (FRAs). FRAs have received huge backlash from industry stakeholders and the wider public, with many suggesting that it may push players towards the black market. For BOYLE Sports, it may be a tough pill to swallow, especially for a business that has no record of settlements for social responsibility failures. There are many ways to both tackle the stigma around problem gambling and to help people suffering from their gambling. But for Smith, and for many, it’s through collaboration rather than regulator-enforced measures. The BOYLE Sports Director concludes: “The industry has an important role to play in this by contributing constructively to the wider conversation, sharing relevant insights into the behavioural patterns and trends, and helping improve public understanding of the factors that can contribute to gambling-related harm. “Greater openness and collaboration can help challenge misconceptions, encourage people to recognise when they may need support and make conversations about gambling and wellbeing more accessible. “Removing stigma starts with creating a more open and informed conversation around gambling-related harm, recognising that anyone can experience difficulties and that seeking support should not be seen as a source of shame or judgement.”