Mercury Managing Director Commits To Responsible Gaming

By Ralph Sesay
Managing Director, Mercury International, Martin Michael has committed Mercury International to responsible gaming by launching the Stay-In-Control Responsible Gaming yesterday in Freetown.
Mr. Michael noted that as an established brand, they were proud of their accomplishments in communities in Sierra Leone as well as their corporate social responsibility noting that it was against such background that they launched the “Responsible Gaming Campaign.”
“Responsible gaming is integral to our policies,” he said.
The campaign, the Managing Director went on, sent a clear message that gaming was only for adults, that is, eighteen years old and above.
He encouraged adults to use their designated tools to keep track of their gaming.
‘’Responsible Gaming is extremely important to us, which is highlighted by the fact that we lead the industry with protective limits and tools on our website,’’ Martin Michael noted.
He reminded customers of what gaming was adding that it should be a social experience to enjoy. “It should not be considered as a source of income,” he warned.
Martin Michael emphasized that, as a company, they had a “sacred responsibility” to ensure that people do not only get useful information but also the right support.
The Mercury Managing Director maintained that as part of the ‘Responsible Gaming Campaign,’ they would be training staff and retailers to spot signs of problem gambling and act in a responsible manner.
“The campaign will also require identifying individuals below 18 years,” he assured.
“Furthermore, Mercury staff and retailers will be trained and instructed to ask for identification from any person that looks under the age of 21 years,’’ the Mercury Managing Director added.
Mercury International has come under the spotlight in the last few years for allegations of encouraging individuals under 18 to take part in the game. But, Martin Michael has denied such claims and called for evidence.
Mr Michael also said Mercury International had a “strong policy” which discouraged the involvement of children under age 18 in its games.
The Managing Director proudly said that under his watch for the past thirteen years, he had called on people to provide evidence indicating that children under18 play mercury games or enter the organisation’s premises. But, the evidence to support the allegations is yet to be provided.