In our latest Q&A, Adam Stangroom, Sales Director at Dataworks Group offers unique insights into the challenges facing regulators and operators as they navigate the complex landscape of modern gambling regulation.
Adam shares how Dataworks Group is not just responding to regulatory requirements, but actively shaping the future of responsible gambling through technology that puts harm minimisation at its core. Stangroom’s insights reveal how the right approach to player protection can actually strengthen business sustainability rather than constrain it.
How would you describe your role in shaping Dataworks Group’s direction and success? At Dataworks, my role is primarily focused on market research and maintaining a forward-looking perspective within a rapidly evolving and dynamic industry. When I engage with regulators, politicians, and gaming agencies, we start by discussing the paradigm shift in the industry – moving from traditional venue-based self-exclusion to addressing the reality of 24/7 gambling access on personal devices. Many stakeholders understand self-exclusion conceptually but haven’t fully grasped how the digital landscape has transformed both the risks and the solutions. I enjoy working with stakeholders to help them to understand that when someone can gamble from their phone at 3am during a vulnerable moment, the traditional Monday-to-Friday, brick-and-mortar based exclusion systems simply aren’t sufficient. My role is to demonstrate how our real-time verification across the entire operator ecosystem can provide the instant, comprehensive protection that matches the immediacy of digital gambling. What drives our commercial success is showing that robust harm minimisation and business growth are complementary forces – when we strengthen player protection, we enhance the entire industry’s social license to operate. When I work with jurisdictions like Australia and Ontario, we understand that a centralised system processing millions of verifications per second isn’t just about compliance; it’s about creating a sustainable gambling environment where operators can thrive because the public trusts that vulnerable people are protected. My approach has shaped Dataworks’ direction by ensuring we develop solutions that resonate with regulatory realities. Every lobbying effort, every stakeholder education session feeds back into our product development, ensuring we’re not just meeting today’s requirements but anticipating tomorrow’s needs. This creates a virtuous cycle where our commercial success directly correlates with better harm minimisation outcomes. What do you believe sets Dataworks Group apart from others in the industry? Three things make us unique: First, our matching technology is unparalleled – we can process over 3 million verification requests per second with sub-5ms response times, which is critical for real-time enforcement without disrupting user experience. Second, we’re the only commercial provider with proven experience implementing a nation-scale centralised self-exclusion systems in major markets like Australia’s BetStop – The National Self Exclusion Register. Finally, our privacy-first architecture using one-way transformations means we can enable cross-jurisdictional protection without compromising data sovereignty – something no other provider has successfully deployed. We’re not just a technology vendor; we’re a partner in creating sustainable harm minimisation infrastructure. What are the emerging trends in the regulatory gaming market and how does Dataworks fit into this? The market is evolving from fragmented, operator-specific exclusion to comprehensive, centralised systems. We’re seeing four key trends: omni-channel protection spanning online and land-based venues; cross-jurisdictional coordination as people travel; integration with broader responsible gambling tools beyond just exclusion; and AI-driven interventions that provide support before harm escalates. Dataworks is uniquely positioned because our architecture was designed from day one to support these evolutions. Our distributed matching network enables secure cross-border protection, our behavioural trigger engine can detect patterns of concern in real-time, and our modular design allows jurisdictions to start simple and add sophisticated capabilities as their programs mature. Reflecting on your time with Dataworks Group so far, what achievements or developments are you most proud of? The successful launch of BetStop stands out – seeing a nation-wide system protect vulnerable Australians from the day it went live was incredibly rewarding. But what I’m most proud of is how we’ve transformed the conversation around self-exclusion from a compliance checkbox to a genuine harm minimisation tool. We’re beginning to implement features like AI-powered coaching support and behavioural intervention triggers that represent the future of responsible gambling. On a personal level, I’m proud of the relationships we’ve built with regulators who now see us as trusted advisors, not just a vendor. Looking ahead, what excites you most about Dataworks Group’s future? The potential to fundamentally change how the industry approaches player protection. We’re moving beyond binary exclusion – where you’re either in or out – to dynamic, personalised support systems. Imagine a scenario where the system detects someone struggling and proactively offers help before they hit rock bottom. Our research infrastructure will enable evidence-based policy making on a scale never before possible. I’m also excited about our expansion into new markets – we’re in discussions with several North American and European jurisdictions that could benefit from our approach. But ultimately, what excites me most is knowing that every new deployment means thousands more people getting the protection they need when they’re most vulnerable.