Principles for Developing Benchmark Criteria for Staff Training in Responsible Gambling.

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Excessive gambling leads to negative consequences.
• Staff training is a key strategy to mitigate gambling harm.
• Developing effective training requires clear benchmark criteria.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess suitable benchmark criteria for responsible gambling training.
• To identify essential performance indicators for casino and lottery retailer staff.
• To examine the implementation of benchmarking for training programs.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Delphi Method with one qualitative and two quantitative phases.
• Involved 21 international experts in the responsible gambling field.
• Outlined 75 performance indicators across six categories.

Main Results:

• Nine of 75 indicators were rated as very important by over 90% of experts.
• Comprehensibility and concrete action-guidance for handling problem gamblers received unanimous support.
• Benchmarking should be conducted every 1-2 years by a designated institution.

Conclusions:

• Established a basis for developing a robust benchmarking system for responsible gambling staff training.
• Highlights the importance of specific, actionable training content and expert qualifications.
• Regular, standardized benchmarking is essential for effective harm reduction in the gambling industry.