Matt Zarb-Cousin: "Language should never hinder someone from receiving assistance."

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The speaker highlights the significance of local partnerships, the benefits of integrating self-exclusion tools, and the influence of personal experiences in shaping Gamban's mission. With these updates, Gamban reaffirms its dedication to supporting individuals on their recovery journey, regardless of their location or language. Q: Gamban has recently added Norwegian and Finnish to its software's supported languages. What motivated this expansion into these specific languages? Gambling is deeply rooted in both Finland and Norway. Despite efforts to mitigate gambling-related harm, many individuals remain unaware of practical tools to help them quit. In Finland, gambling is widespread, while unlicensed gambling sites in Norway pose risks to vulnerable individuals. By offering Gamban in these languages, we facilitate easier access for people in these countries to regain control, removing language as a barrier to quitting. Language should not hinder access to assistance. By including Finnish and Norwegian, we ensure more individuals can utilize the necessary tools. We hope this update makes blocking gambling on devices more intuitive and effective. Our goal is to make Gamban as accessible as possible across all regions, ensuring it is free for self-exclusion without language barriers. Q: You've aimed to collaborate with major local companies like Veikkaus in Finland and Norsk Tipping in Norway, which are monopolies. Do you anticipate forming similar partnerships as the markets transition to a license-based model? We aim to provide Gamban free at the point of self-exclusion. If more operators enter a market, we hope to partner with the multi-operator self-exclusion provider. Q: How critical is it for consumers to access tools like Gamban, and what unique player protection does Gamban offer that others might not? For those looking to quit online gambling, combining Gamban with self-exclusion is crucial. It not only strengthens self-exclusion but also blocks access to unlicensed sites. Our app guides users to resources like gambling transaction blocking with banks and localized treatment providers. The founders' personal experiences have driven Gamban's development, ensuring we support users at any recovery stage. Q: As Finland transitions to a regulated market with individual licenses, what challenges do you foresee for player protection services like Gamban? Through our collaboration with Veikkaus, we offer fully paid Gamban licenses to customers, including those showing risky behavior signs. Veikkaus has built a strong safer gambling framework, and Gamban is integral to it. We aim to maintain continuous service as the market transitions, keeping Gamban free while the multi-operator self-exclusion scheme is established. Q: How will Gamban measure success in Finland and Norway in the coming months? Gamban license distribution has grown consistently, even before we introduced translations. Although each license represents someone impacted by gambling, it's positive that we are helping them quit. Providing the best possible tools to assist them is crucial. With the addition of Finnish and Norwegian, we now support seven languages: English, French, Spanish, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese, Finnish, and Norwegian. This expansion is a significant step in our mission to ensure help is accessible, regardless of location or language. Q: What do you hope to accomplish with these two launches? Gambling harm affects millions across Europe, and we aim to empower individuals to manage their gambling habits and begin their recovery journey easily. We emphasize the importance of providing accessible and user-friendly tools, especially in one’s native language. By adding Finnish and Norwegian, we remove language barriers, ensuring more people can access Gamban’s trusted gambling-blocking solution. Our goal is to support as many people as possible for as long as they need us, minimizing barriers to access.