Sustainability - Our Approach
At Playtech, we are committed to growing our business in a way that has a positive impact on our people, our communities, the environment and our industry. Sustainable Success is how we bring the principles of sustainability and responsible business into everything we do.
At the heart of Sustainable Success, there are four pillars:
• Pioneering safer gambling solutions
• Promoting integrity and an inclusive culture
• Powering action for positive environmental impact
• Partnering on shared societal challenges
We have set commitments for each pillar and report on our progress year-on-year. Please see below for more details.
If you would like further information, contact the team.
Playtech is committed to conducting its business in a lawful and ethical manner and takes a zero-tolerance approach to bribery and corruption. The policy also provides guidance on receiving and/or giving gifts or hospitality.
Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism:
This Policy outlines our approach to and your responsibilities for preventing and mitigating money laundering and terrorist financing risk in our business. The policy also provides employees with information and guidance on how to identify and escalate ML/CFT concerns.
Anti-facilitation of Tax Evasion
This policy sets out the responsibilities for observing and upholding our position on preventing the criminal facilitation of tax evasion and provides information and guidance to employees on how to recognise and avoid tax evasion and the facilitation of it.
Playtech is committed to engaging in business in a responsible, ethical and sustainable manner and to playing a positive role in the communities in which it operates. This Policy sets out Playtech's standards of business conduct, its approach to corporate governance, its commitments to its employees, and its ambition to be a sustainable company.
In 2022, the Board approved a Board Diversity policy, setting out its approach to ensure that diversity and inclusion is a core part of recruitment and succession planning at the Board.
Human Rights and Modern Slavery 2021:
This statement outlines Playtech’s commitment to uphold and promote human rights. The statement sets out the steps that Playtech has taken to prevent modern slavery from occurring in its operations and supply chain.
Playtech is committed to respect for human rights across its operations and supply chain. This is a core element of the Group’s overall commitment to responsible business practices. The Group remains committed to respecting and upholding the principles embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organisation’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Playtech is committed to reducing its environmental footprint and taking action to reduce its carbon, waste, and water impacts in its operations. The environment, particularly climate change, is a growing area of concern for all our stakeholders, including investors, our employees, and the communities where we operate. The Company also recognises that urgent action is required to reduce the risks and impacts of climate change globally substantially and in the countries, cities, and communities in which it operates.
Playtech Group Personal Data Protection and Privacy Policy:
Playtech is committed to good data protection compliance and governance and processing personal data in line with legal requirements as well as safeguarding data subject rights. This policy is designed to encourage all employees to embed data protection considerations in their daily operations by outlining general data protection principles and provides in particular guidance on how to raise any data protection or privacy concerns.
Responsible marketing and advertising policy
This policy sets out our commitment and procedures for advertising and marketing in a responsible manner. This policy applies to all corporate and product marketing as well as B2C operations. This supplements compliance with local laws and regulations governing marketing and advertising.
Safer gambling is a critical part of the long-term success of its B2B and B2C gambling operations as well as the sustainability of the industry as a whole. This Policy provides an overview of the responsible gambling commitments as well as the regulatory and operational risk and management processes for both our B2B and B2C operations.
Playtech is committed to conducting its business with honesty and integrity and to promoting a culture of openness, integrity and accountability. This policy is designed to encourage staff to report suspected wrongdoing as soon as possible, in the knowledge that their concerns will be taken seriously and investigated, and that their confidentiality will be respected.
We have a responsibility to uphold the highest standards of integrity and be fair and honest with our employees, customers, suppliers, partners, shareholders, and the wider community. Our values – integrity, innovation, excellence, and performance – are a vital part of our ethical business principles and are reflected in this Code.
The Board recognises that the industry has changed rapidly and that now, more than ever, is an important moment to pause and ask the question: what will sustainable success mean for our business and the sector– going forward.
Society expects businesses to engage more fully with stakeholders in order to understand and take account of the rapidly changing expectations of our industry – from sector-specific issues such as safer gambling and safer products to more generally applicable topics such as diversity & inclusion and climate change.
To gain a better appreciation of those changing expectations and improve Playtech’s ability to respond, we intend to establish a Stakeholder Advisory Panel. This Panel is Chaired by the Playtech’s Chair and supplements Playtech’s existing mechanism for engaging stakeholders and helps advance its sustainability strategy as well as help us raise standards for responsible business practices within the sector.
The Stakeholder Advisory Panel brings together external topic experts with senior internal decision-makers to sense-check, challenge and provide direction against key non-financial topics, such as the overall responsible business strategy, safer gambling, and digital health & well-being as well as the diversity and inclusion agenda.
For more information:
Playtech Stakeholder Advisory Board - Terms of Reference
Playtech Stakeholder Advisory Panel - Insights Report on Sustainable Success Feb 2021
Playtech Actions and Response Meeting - 1
Playtech Stakeholder Advisory Panel - Insights Report on Safer Gambling June 2021
Playtech Stakeholder Advisory Panel - Insights Report on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Oct 2021
Playtech Stakeholder Advisory Panel - Insights Report on Climate Change Dec 2021
Playtech Stakeholder Advisory Panel - Session 1 Playtech Protect and Safer Gambling - June 2022
Playtech Stakeholder Advisory Panel - Session 3 Climate Change - December 2022
For a summary of Stakeholder insights reports:
Playtech Roundtable Reports 2017 & 2018
RG + Playtech Collaboration - Insights on Digital Wellbeing and Safer Gambling
In this section, you will find links to our social and environmental performance and growing suite of key performance indicators. Our reporting approach is multifaceted and ever-evolving, but it remains anchored in the issues that are most material for the Group’s stakeholders and the continued success of the business.
2020 Sustainability Reporting Methodology and Data: This document provides additional details on our methodology for non-financial reporting as well as the indicators we have reported on for 2020 and their relation to both the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Sustainability Accounting Board (SASB) standards. Read the report here
2021 Sustainability Reporting Methodology and Data: This document provides additional details on our methodology for non-financial reporting as well as the indicators we have reported on for 2021 and their relation to both the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Sustainability Accounting Board (SASB) standards. Read the report here
2022 Sustainability Reporting Methodology and Data: This document provides additional details on our methodology for non-financial reporting as well as the indicators we have reported on for 2021 and their relation to both the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Sustainability Accounting Board (SASB) standards. Read the report here
2020 Assurance: In 2020, Playtech engaged PwC to independently assure Playtech’s Greenhouse Gas emissions. To access the assurance statement, please visit the webpage here
2021 Assurance: In 2021, Playtech engaged PwC to independently assure Playtech’s Greenhouse Gas emissions. To access the assurance statement, please visit the webpage here
2022 Assurance: In 2022, Playtech engaged PwC to independently assure Playtech’s Greenhouse Gas emissions. To access the assurance statement, please visit the webpage here
CDP: In 2020, Playtech began participating in the CDP, a global disclosure system to manage environmental impacts. For more information please visit the webpage here
2021 H1 Progress Update: This document provides a half-year update on our sustainability progress. Full-year 2021 data and reporting will be available in our 2021 Annual Report. Read the report here
Governance
At Playtech, we have taken steps to strengthen our sustainability governance and priorities across the business. Our approach continues to be informed by changing stakeholder expectations and our commitment to delivering against the objectives in our business and sustainability strategy.
We regularly update our materiality assessment to consider evolving risks and opportunities for the business.
In 2022, Playtech conducted a refresh of its materiality assessment to ensure that the Company prioritises the environmental, social and governance issues that both internal and external stakeholders consider to be important for Playtech, the industry and society. For more details, please refer to the Annual Report 2022 here.
In June 2021, the Board established a new Sustainability and Public Policy Committee. This Committee’s primary responsibility is to review, monitor and advise on Playtech’s sustainability, responsible business and public policy matters. The Committee reviews the ESG considerations and continued effectiveness of the ESG strategy and policies and ensures appropriate governance is in place for the successful execution of the strategy. More details can be found here.
The day-to-day responsibility for sustainability governance sits within the Sustainability and Corporate Affairs function. In practice, this function coordinates action, provides subject matter expertise, delivers support to other relevant functions, business units and country management, manages and tracks performance, and leads engagement and partnerships with external stakeholders.
The impacts of gambling-related harm, particularly mental health impacts, have been rising up the agenda and informing actions amongst health agencies, politicians, regulators, activists and charities. Scrutiny and pressure on the sector to act have added urgency, visibility and relevance for addressing the intersection of these issues. The enormity of the current situation also serves as an opportunity and platform for bringing together interested organisations to make a difference across the issues.
In 2020, Playtech announced a commitment to supporting programmes and partnerships designed to reduce gambling-related harm and promote positive digital well-being and health outcomes. In doing so, Playtech formally announced and committed £5 million over five years in five areas of focus to support partnerships and initiatives that can make a positive difference at the intersection of gambling, online life and mental health.
We aim to continue to be at the forefront of safer gambling innovation, enabling our partners to provide a safe, secure gambling experience. Please refer to our Playtech Protect page for information.
Environment
The environment, particularly climate change, is a growing area of concern for us all. At Playtech, we have committed to reducing our carbon footprint by 40% by 2025 from our 2018 base.
Playtech continued and expanded its cross-functional Environment Forum chaired by the Head of Sustainability. The forum meets quarterly and its remit includes the development and maintenance of an environmental policy for the Group as well as setting, co-ordinating and overseeing the strategy and response to the challenges posed by climate change.
Playtech’s work on climate change includes:
- Identifying short, medium and long-term climate-related risks.
- Building risk management strategies across our key markets and operations.
- Improving our environmental footprint by committing to buy renewable energy and empowering local teams to make lasting changes to our operations.
- Looking beyond our operations to examine the entire carbon footprint across our value chain.
You can find more details in our global environmental policy.
In 2022, the Live team in Latvia implemented several initiatives to reduce the environmental footprint of the operation. The operation in Latvia is unique, as it serves as both an office and a Live Casino studio, which operates 24/7. During the summertime, the electricity consumed by the central cooling system is one of the high-emitting sources of the office’s carbon footprint. To address this challenge, the team installed a sun-reflective film on the main facade of the building. This helped to reduce the temperature of the premises, thereby reducing the amount of energy needed to cool the building.
Playtech’s total Scope 1 and 2 (location-based) emissions decreased by 11.7% in 2022. Since 2018, they have decreased by 39.6%, meaning that Playtech is very close to achieving its 40% reduction target. One of the major areas of focus was to switch our material operations to renewable energy, where possible, with 56.4% of Playtech’s total energy consumption derived from renewable energy sources, up from 10.8% in 2021.
For more information about our environmental performance, click here.
People, Culture and Community
At Playtech, our culture and behaviour are guided by our values of integrity, innovation, excellence and performance. By committing to promote integrity, responsibility and inclusivity, we are working to enshrine these values in everything we do.
We are expanding participation in diversity and leadership networks, supporting the development of our workforce and providing comprehensive health ad wellbeing programmes to ensure employee safety and security.
A guiding principle for Playtech’s philanthropic and volunteering activities is collaboration and partnership. Playtech employees around the world dedicate their time, skills, money and, most importantly, passion to support the communities and causes that are important in their local markets. Playtech established a formal global programme in 2017 to align its activities around common themes and outcomes, including mental health, digital well-being and safer gambling, as well as humanitarian causes and material to the communities where Playtech operates.
At Playtech, we are committed to improving gender diversity across all levels to build strength, insight and expertise and to reflect the stakeholders we serve.
Read more about the progress we are making in reducing the gender pay gap:
Diversity and UK Gender Pay Gap Report - 2019
Diversity and UK Gender Pay Gap Report - 2020
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Our people are our passion. At Playtech, we support our employees with a suite of learning and development programmes to enhance their personal and professional development. Over 4,000 employees participated in courses in H1 2021. We covered a range of topics including workplace wellbeing, leadership and management, mental health, information security and diversity and inclusion. Read more about our workforce development here.
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In 2020, Playtech partnered with Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) to launch the £3 million COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Fund. The fund provided both immediate and long-term support to charities, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations that were dedicated to delivering mental health services.
The fund has awarded 56 grants to organisations in 10 different locations, including Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Gibraltar, IOM, Italy, Latvia, the Philippines, UK and US. These grants supported 18 different causes, with the top 4 causes being frontline workers (23%), mental health patients (23%), domestic violence (10%) and at-risk youth (10%). So far, the fund has collectively reached over 24,000 people directly and over 1.4 million people indirectly.
Pioneering Safer Gambling solutions:
Learn more about how we are investing in the next generation of technology to make the gambling experience safer and raise industry standards.
Promoting Integrity & Inclusive culture:
Learn more about how are embedding responsible business practices in our operations and promoting a culture of stewardship, inclusion and wellbeing.
