Sustainability Report 2020 - Making sports betting and gambling entertaining, transparent, and fair - Better Collective
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Sustainability Report 2020 Making sports betting and gambling entertaining, transparent, and fair. Better Collective A/S CVR no. 27 65 29 13
CONTENTS
Vision Values
To empower iGamers
Talented employees are Strategic goal
through transparency and
the key to our success.
technology Be the #1 sports
We respect each other, our users,
betting aggregator
and our partners.
Mission in the world
We innovate remarkable products
To make sports betting and and processes that make a
gambling entertaining, difference to our users.
transparent and fair We are dedicated to enrich
betting and gambling
for our users.
Vision Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 2
CONTENTS
Contents
Introduction ESG key figures
4 Message from the CEO 27 ESG key figures
6 Who we are 29 Adresses
7 What we do
Sustainability Sustainability
8 Sustainability strategy Strategy
9 Repoting framework Page 08
10 Sustainability Programmes
11 Sustainability overview
12 Responsible gambling
13 Let’s talk about safer gambling
14 Investment in Mindway AI
16 Responsible Affiliates in Gambling
CEO letter
17 Operating a compliant business
Page 04
18 Environment
19 People as a key driver
ESG Key figures
21 Local Communities
Page 27
22 Hackathon: Your code for a better world
24 Getting better during COVID-19;
26 Reporting methodology and scope
Responsible
Gambling
Page 12
This report forms part of the management report in the company’s annual report in compliance with the
Danish Financial Statements Act, Section 99a and Section 99b. The report covers the financial year 2020.
Contents Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 3
CONTENTS
Message from the CEO
Ensuring sustainable and responsible growth
“
Since our foundation 16 years registering an account or placing a bet with a We acknowledge that our sustainability re- We want to
ago, we have always aimed sports betting or gambling operator. porting and responsibilities require continuous
be “Better for
work. However, with this report, we believe a sol-
to make sports betting and For the iGaming industry to be sustainable, id foundation has been laid, upon which a clear Bettors” and
gambling entertaining, trans- responsible gambling needs to be at the top vision for our sustainability work can be built.
contribute to “A Better
of the agenda and embedded in every step
parent, and fair for the global of our business model. Hence, in 2020 we Community” through
network of online bettors. took significant steps to increase the col- Our areas of focus
laboration around responsible gambling. In our sustainability work, we focus on five
our sustainability
main areas covering responsible gambling, programmes”.
our people, our governance model, our im-
The year 2020 will stand out as unusual and A structured approach pact on the environment, and local communi-
difficult in almost every aspect of business to sustainability ties. We want to be “Better for Bettors” and
and society due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, we committed to incorporate the UN contribute to a “Better Community” why we Jesper Søgaard,
We have, however, successfully steered our Global Compact and its 10 principles into our let these ambitions make up our sustainability Co-founder & CEO
business through the changing and uncertain strategy, culture, and day-to-day operations. programmes and guide our efforts.
times while we managed to maintain and de- We seek to engage in collaborative projects
liver on the financial targets we set out prior that advance the broader development goals Being a prominent sports betting media group
to the pandemic. Our business has proven re- of the United Nations and in particular the in the iGaming industry, we acknowledge our
silient and is back on track with a record high Sustainable Development Goals. responsibility while we are also aware of our
performance towards the end of the year. impact on the global iGaming industry, society
Last but not least, we started tracking our at large, and Better Collective’s stakeholders
Continually growing our business while also carbon emissions in 2019 as part of our ESG in general. Our ambition is to use our leading
adding new entities and business areas re- reporting. We continue to update and develop position to influence and support responsible
quire dedicated attention to our responsibil- our policies, systems, and processes to man- gambling and a sustainable development of
ities and ability to grow sustainably. This is age and mitigate social, environmental, and society – for the benefit of our employees,
done by ensuring that our governance model ethical risks. shareholders, users, partners, and our business.
is continually developed and implemented
while we always take our employees’ and us- Internally, we have dedicated resources to our
ers’ conditions into account. sustainability work and reporting by setting Promoting responsible
up a sustainability committee, and we include gambling
We want to make sure that our users are bet- the sustainability strategy at the annual board Just after the close of 2020, we deepened the
ter suited to navigate the iGaming world by and management strategy seminar, which collaboration around responsible gambling
visiting a Better Collective website before revealed a full endorsement and deep under- by significantly increasing our investment in
standing of its importance. Mindway AI, an organisation specialising in
Message from the CEO Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 4
CONTENTS
innovative and advanced software solutions
for the identification of at-risk gambling and
problem gambling behaviour. We are very
proud that we have played a role in bringing
Mindway AI’s software solutions from academ-
ic research into commercial products that are
now being sold to operators around the world.
People as a key element
Looking back at 2020, we are very satisfied
with our performance, and we firmly believe
that we have a much stronger company than
we had a year ago.
We would like to express our sincere thanks
to all Better Collective’s stakeholders - our
employees and management team, our Board
of Directors and all our business partners for
their continued astonishing performance and
flexibility in this extraordinary environment.
Indeed, the past year has manifested the
strong team spirit which infuses our organi-
sation, and our mission continues to guide us
in being a responsible company with trusted
brands and products, while our values and
sustainability efforts firmly steer us to do even
better tomorrow.
Jesper Søgaard
Co-founder & CEO
Message from the CEO Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 5
CONTENTS
Who we are
Better Collective is a leading sports betting media
group within the iGaming industry. Through our
products, we aim to make sports betting and
gambling entertaining, transparent and fair for the
global network of online bettors.
Offices
EUROPE NORTH AMERICA
Copenhagen HQ Paris Fort Lauderdale
2004 450+
Krakow Stockholm Nashville
Lodz Stoke-on-trent
London Thessaloniki
Founded Employees NiŠ Vienna
Responsible betting & sustainable practices
2018 >49%
Listed on Nasdaq Shares owned by founders
Stockholm (STO:BETCO) and management
Who we are Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 6
CONTENTS
What we do Betting
knowledge
Sign up
offers
Betting
tips
Better
Collective Qualified traffic
Users Customers
Customer signs
up and bets
Sports data tips
Revenue
Bonus Offers
Live Betting
The sport and sports betting universe is all about passion and Our vision is to empower online bettors by creating a trans- As such we aid users to navigate safely among bookmakers
entertainment. Better Collective is a leading sports betting parent and safer betting experience in a growing and more that match their individual needs, while we also provide
media group that connects sports enthusiastic bettors with complex entertainment industry. Our products cover more than leading online bookmakers with targeted user acquisition
betting operators through innovative technologies and trust- 30 languages and attract millions of users worldwide. At our and engagement. These operations make Better Collective
ed digital products centred on educational and responsible sites users can get access to educational content around sports an important and integral part of the evolving sports betting
sports betting content. betting, compare odds and bookmakers, share analysis, tips and universe.
the excitement when their favourite team or athlete competes.
What we do Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 7
CONTENTS
Our approach
Sustainability strategy
Responsibility and sustainability are ingrained elements of Better
Collective’s business model and have been key value-drivers for
the organisation since its inception in 2004.
Our headquarters remain in Denmark, where Our strategy and approach are deeply rooted Sustainability governance at
we have our roots. We proudly engage in the in our core values, which have remained the Better Collective
local communities and societies, where we same since the foundation of Better Collec-
are active, by paying our taxes and initiating tive more than 16 years ago.
Our sustainability governance model provides a foundation for
local projects by partnering with local citi-
developing and anchoring a sustainability strategy and targets.
zens and other local stakeholders. The UN Global Compact (UNGC) constitutes
the overall framework for our sustainability
We persistently strive to be a socially respon- strategy and reporting, while we also im-
sible sports betting media group while we plement into our strategy the UN Sustaina- Board of directors
Approve Code of Conduct and
continuously aspire to strengthen the stand- ble Development Goals (SDGs) that are the Sustainability strategy
ards of the iGaming industry to empower our most relevant to our operations. For Better
users. Collective, conducting responsible business
and contributing to a sustainable world will
At Better Collective, we believe that as a busi- always be core value-drivers for our organ-
ness we have an increasingly important role isation, which is why we work strategically Management team
to play in society in securing a sustainable with The Ten Principles set out in the UNGC. Decides on strategic sustainability and focus areas
including programmes and targets
future. We also strongly believe that operat- We adhere to the UNGC and understand it as
ing in a responsible way, across all business a normative and morally guiding codex to be
verticals and adding value to society and the followed in all of Better Collective’s endeav-
communities in which we operate, positively ours. By doing so, we stay committed to im-
affect our business and competitiveness. We proving our business practices in four areas Sustainability committee
call this shared value creation. Our sustaina- that ultimately can aid in making globali- Cross-functional committee chaired by
bility strategy is therefore a natural part of our sation more inclusive for all: human rights, Head of IR & Sustainability incl. CEO, HR, Finance, and PR
Prepares sustainability issues and reporting
overall business strategy and strategic goals. labour rights, environmental rights and, related to policies and strategy
anti-corruption laws.
With a vision to empower iGamers through
transparency and technology, our sustaina- Our sustainability strategy and reporting
bility strategy and goals are integral parts of are built around five strategic priorities core
our operations to support this vision and to to Better Collective’s business: Responsible
realise our strategic goal to be the #1 sports gambling, Governance, People, Local com-
betting aggregator in the world. munity, and Environment.
Our approach Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 8
CONTENTS
Reporting
framework
The UN Global Compact Starting in 2019, we are implementing the SDGs Goal Selected targets
in a stepwise approach. Our starting point in
constitutes the overall 2019 was to identify the SDGs where we can
framework for our reporting make an impact - either through current activ- SDG 5 5.1
along with the UN SDGs that ities or through new initiatives - resulting in 9 Gender equality End all forms of discrimination against all women
SDGs. During 2020 we made additional impact and girls
are the most applicable to analyses and singled out two SDGs to focus on
our business. as a starting point. For now, our efforts revolve 5.5
around SDG 5 on gender equality, and SDG 8 Ensure women’s full and effective participation
on decent work and economic growth. and equal opportunities for leadership at all
levels of decision-making
The UN Global Compact is a call to compa- During the process of analysis, we also de-
nies to align strategies and operations with fined KPIs and set targets to implement and
universal principles on human rights, labour, report on, both of which are presented in this SDG 8 8.3
environment, and anti-corruption, and take report. As part of the SDG selection process, Decent work and Promote development-oriented policies that
actions that advance societal goals. Better we ensured that the SDGs are embedded in economic growth support productive activities, decent job creation,
Collective signed up in early 2019 and start- our corporate strategy and aspiration to be entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation
ed reporting on the Ten Principles in the 2019 the #1 sports betting aggregator in the world.
sustainability report. By incorporating the We believe working strategically with these 8.8
Ten Principles into strategies, policies, and goals will support us in creating a long-term Protect labour rights and promote safe and
procedures, and establishing a culture of in- competitive edge. Operationally, the strat- secure working environments for all workers
tegrity, we are not only upholding our basic egy is rolled out through our sustainability
responsibilities to people and the planet but programmes “Better for Bettors” and “Better
also setting the stage for long-term success. Community”.
Our approach Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 9
CONTENTS
Our approach
Sustainability programmes
Better Collective’s sustainability strategy
is rolled out through two comprehensive
sustainability programmes.
For the iGaming industry to be sustainable, responsible gam- Our efforts within the Better Community programme are tied
Our “Better for Bettors” programme is bling needs to be at the top of the agenda. We want to make to our key markets and their surrounding communities, the en-
built to support our vision to empower sure that our users are better suited to navigate the iGaming vironment, and our employees. The majority of our initiatives
iGamers, while the “Better Community” world by visiting a Better Collective platform before register- go beyond our core business as we recognise our responsi-
ing an account with a betting operator. In this way, the users’ bility to contribute to a more inclusive and sustainable world.
programme focuses on our surrounding iGaming experiences are more likely to remain a form of fun
communities, the environment, and our and entertainment Most of our community work is currently focused on our op-
erations in Niš, Serbia. As one of the largest tech employers in
employees.
In order to be better for bettors, we work closely together Nis, we recognise our role and potential impact on the local
with Mindway AI, who specialises in software solutions for the community, why this became the point of departure of our
identification of at-risk gambling and problem behaviour. We Better Community program. Initiatives range from support-
Operating in a responsible and sustainable manner have been are working to develop a responsible training programme for ing the IT community, in particular the IT youth, over cultural
central to our business since our foundation, though, we our key website owners, while we also seek to educate regu- sponsorships to environmental activities with a local impact.
acknowledge that we can always do better. This is why we lators and politicians on who we are and what we do so that
see our efforts within the two sustainability programmes as standards can be set for affiliates across the IGaming industry. Our internal sustainability efforts are centred around our em-
continuous and ever improving. ployees. We report on our progress relating to the UN Global
Compact principles while the UN Sustainable Development
Goals are implemented across our efforts wherever we find
that we can make a reasonable impact.
Our approach Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 10CONTENTS
Sustainability overview
Focus area
& governing Responsible Local
Governance Environment People
framework Gambling Community
Prevent problem gambling through 1. S
upport and respect 7. Support a precautionary 3. Uphold the freedom of Support local communities
education of users internationally proclaimed human approach to environmental association and the effective
rights challenges recognition of the right to Promote development-oriented
Principles
(no. is a collective bargaining policies that support productive
2. No complicity in human rights 8. U
ndertake initiatives to
reference to abuses promote greater environmental 4. E
liminate all forms of forced and
activities, decent job creation,
the UNGC) entrepreneurship, creativity and
responsibility compulsory labour
10. W
ork against corruption in all innovation
its forms, including extortion 9. Encourage the development and 5. A
bolition of child labour
and bribery diffusion of environmentally
6. Eliminate discrimination in
friendly technologies
respect of employment and
occupation
Implement Responsible Gambling At all times comply with applicable Minimise carbon emissions Board of directors to include two Encourage and educate the local
(RG) policy & roll-out across BC legislation in the countries where female members by 2023 youth in tech
Promote environmentally
offices BC is represented
Goals sustainable business practices Management 35% women by 2023 Contribute to the positive
RG ressources on BC’s user-facing At all times respect and comply development of the communities in
To be one of the igaiming industry’s
websites with UNGC’s human rights which we are active
most inclusive and socially
principles
RG training for all BC employees responsible workplaces
Zero-tolerance on corruption
Defined need for update of RG Updated whistleblower policy and Travel policy implemented Anti-harassment policy and Hosted hackathon Niš, Serbia
policy roll-out to all offices training prepared for roll-out in
Planned reduction in travel activity Aired “Better Future: A guide
2021
Main Defined higher standards for RG on Update and continued training in accelerated by Covid-19 through professions in BC”
activities UK-facing sites (RAiG) Code of Conduct Awareness of possible bias in job
2020 Offering student employment,
ads terminology and candidate
Key website owners trained in RG internships and scholarship
screening
donations
Active part of the UK safer
Work environment survey and
gambling week
employee satisfaction survey
during Covid-19 lockdown
Our approach Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 11CONTENTS
Responsible gambling
Better Collective views sports betting and
gambling purely as a form of entertainment,
and wants to make sure that users’ and
employees’ iGaming experiences remain
as a form of fun and entertainment.
This includes awareness of the fact that As Better Collective is not a sports betting or
gambling should not be seen as a source of gambling operator, we rely on our partnering
income, but only be practised as a fun activ- operators to scan for user behaviour and take
ity. When gambling, the sole purpose should action when a user shows signs of at-risk or
not be to increase one’s initial stake but to set problem gambling behaviour. Due to our posi-
aside a stake that one is willing to lose for the tion in the value chain, and that all actual bets
sake of entertainment. This view of betting is are placed with an operator, we have limited
the reason why we strongly endorse respon- data on our users and no data on their betting
sible gaming. When creating content or new behaviour. We can help educate users, making
platforms, we always have responsible gam- sure that they are aware of the legal gambling our user-facing websites and offer a Betting Danish Online Gambling Association (DOGA),
bling in mind and aim to educate our users, age, of possible adverse effects of gambling, Academy to educate users and create trans- which among many other things, work to ini-
while creating transparency. and prevention. We are continuously assess- parency. For our employees, we recently up- tiate dialogue between all stakeholders in the
ing new measures to implement on our sites. dated our responsible gambling policy and of- gambling industry to secure a responsible and
We want to ensure that our users are better fer resources and training, which will be rolled safe gambling market in Denmark and other
suited to navigate the iGaming world by vis- Gambling addiction out in 2021. So far, key website owners have countries.
iting a Better Collective platform before reg- prevention completed the training.
istering an account with a sports betting or At Better Collective we are fully aware that On January 1, 2021, we took significant steps
gambling operator. All our platforms focus there are users for whom gambling surpasses In 2019, we co-founded the trade organisation to increase our role within responsible gam-
on the teaching of gambling strategies and entertainment and becomes a form of addic- Responsible Affiliates in Gambling (RAiG). bling by increasing our ownership to 90% of
the presentation of insightful information tion. Our standpoint is that the entire iGaming RAiG sets out to help raise the standards in the the shares in Mindway AI, specialising in soft-
and data to make our users more confident in industry needs to do all they can to minimise sector, particularly with respect to responsible ware solutions based on artificial intelligence
their betting. However, we do not, and cannot, the risk for people turning into problem gam- gambling and aims at creating a safer gam- and neuroscience for identifying, preventing
guarantee winning – and we will never claim blers and take this responsibility seriously. We bling environment for consumers. Additional- and intervening in at-risk and problem gam-
to do so. display responsible gambling resources on ly, Better Collective is also a member of the bling.
Better for Bettors Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 12CONTENTS
“Let’s talk about safer gambling”
Between November 19-25, Better Collective supported the
UK and Irish-oriented Safer Gambling Week 2020 campaign.
The 2020 campaign featured the tagline “Let’s talk about safer
gambling” and championed responsible gambling standards
and behaviours while also focusing on educational initiatives.
The Safer Gambling Week campaign is led by includes raising awareness of safe gambling
the UK gambling industry and seeks to en- practices. We believe this is done best by cre-
gage users, employees, and the wider public ating a sector-wide conversation like the one
about safer gambling while driving aware- taking place at the annual Safer Gambling
ness of: Week.
¡ How to gamble more safely This year, Better Collective supported the
¡ Tools available to help people gamble Safer Gambling Week by rolling out cam-
safely paign banners on key UK-facing corporate
¡ Sources of more advice and support and flagship websites including banners in
the Daily Telegraph, while we also posted in-
All of the above aligns with the aims of our formative responsible gambling content on
“Better for Betters’’ programme and our fo- Better Collective’s sites.
cus on responsible gambling. Additionally,
as we operate within the UK market we find Additionally, Better Collective hosted in-
it paramount to support and engage in such ternal presentations at the Safer Gambling
awareness campaigns. The Safer Gambling Week to inform about Mindway AI and its Facts
Week Campaign has been running for four efforts to improve the identification, preven- Safer Gambling Week is an awareness campaign led by the Betting and Gaming
years while 2020 marks the second year that tion, and intervention in at-risk and problem Council (BGC), The Bingo Association (BA), and the British Amusement
Better Collective actively participates in it. gambling by way of its specialised software Catering Trade Association (bacta). The campaign’s aim is to drive up UK and
solutions based on artificial intelligence and Irish online gambling standards while it also seeks to promote safer gambling
At Better Collective we stay committed to neuroscience. practices. The campaign has as of 2020 been running for four years.
educating and empowering our users which
Better for Bettors Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 13CONTENTS
Investment in
Mindway AI
Following an initial invest- GameScanner, Gamalyze, and GameChanger,
is that they empower iGaming operators to
ment in 2019, Better Collec- create safer customer journeys as well as to
tive became a major share-
“
Jesper Søgaard, become proactive if players show signs of hav-
Co-founder & CEO,
holder on January 1, 2021, in ing problems.
Better Collective
Mindway AI, which specialises Mindway AI has over the last year acceler-
in innovative and advanced
We see Mindway AI’s ated its transformation from being an aca-
software solutions for the demic-based start-up focusing on building
technologies and products and software solutions with a strong
identification of at-risk gam-
software solutions as
scientific foundation into commercialising the
bling and problem gambling business. Today, Mindway AI plays an increas-
best-in-class, and foresee the behaviour. ingly important role in the iGaming ecosystem
supporting operators on a global scale such as
business will play an increasingly Entain (formerly GVC Holdings), Flutter Group,
important role in the iGaming and Holland Casino to create safer iGaming
Mindway AI is an award-winning company that experiences.
ecosystem, as responsible develops state-of-the-art software solutions
gambling continues to be at the for fully automatic monitoring and profiling Through Better Collective’s strong global in-
of gamblers and for identifying, preventing, dustry network, we are supporting Mindway
very top of the industry agenda and intervening in at-risk and problem gam- AI by opening doors to iGaming operators
and in society as a whole”. bling. At the core of Mindway AI’s DNA is a with a view to scaling the technologies for
research-based foundation, and the develop- the benefit of the players. In addition, we are
ment of the solutions is done by combining looking into ways to utilise their technolo-
neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and a deep gies and products within the Better Collec-
Jesper Søgaard, collaboration with a team of industry experts. tive Group and expect to roll out initiatives
Co-founder & CEO, Better Collective Common to Mindway AI’s software solutions, in 2021.
Better for Bettors Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 14CONTENTS
“
With Better Collective, we now form
closer ties to an organisation that has
the industry network and muscles
to further accelerate the development
of our business. I look forward to
continuing the strong growth journey
Mindway AI has been on and to further
expand our footprint globally”.
Rasmus Kjærgaard, Rasmus Kjærgaard,
CEO, Mindway CEO, Mindway
Mindway AI solutions:
Facts
¡ GameChanger – a training tool that helps ¡ Gamescanner – an artificial intelligence
Founded in 2018. Utilises AI and
at-risk and problem gamblers take back solution harvesting the newest
neuroscience to detect at-risk
control over their gambling by training to knowledge in neuroscience that
gambling behaviour, university
control their impulsivity identifies problem gambling behavior
Spin-off by scientists from the
with the same performance as expert
Institute for clinical medicine at
psychologists.
Aarhus University. Customers and
¡ Gamalyze – a self-test game, during
partners include betting operators,
which decision making is analysed, using
Read more about Mindway AI platform providers, regulators, and
validated neuroscientific principles.
www.mindway-ai.com governments.
The analysis provides deep insight into
gambling behaviour, thus identifying key
characteristics associated with problem
gambling.
Better for Bettors Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 15CONTENTS
Responsible Affiliates
in Gambling
In May 2019, we partnered As a condition of membership of RAIG, each Other action points include:
member is subject to an annual social respon-
with Racing Post and sibility audit that is conducted by Gambling
Oddschecker to co-found Integrity. This audit is designed to ensure ¡ Marketing suppression - for self-excluded customers (in the first
compliance with a range of existing statutory
a new trade association, instance, RAiG is exploring options with organisations such as
and non-statutory regulation as well as any
Responsible Affiliates in GAMESTOP, the national online self-exclusion scheme);
additional measures which might be adopt-
Gambling (RAiG) that is ed over time. In November, Better Collective ¡ Staff training – it is important that those working in the affiliate
passed the annual social responsibility audit
established to promote the made by Gambling Integrity.
sector are aware of the broader issues associated with gambling
and the harm that gambling can cause.
socially responsible market-
ing of gambling products In 2020, following a thorough internal re- ¡ Safer gambling information – for example, what should affiliates
view, RAiG announced that it would support
and a safer gambling in principle the introduction of a statutory
provide to their customers and how might that best be achieved?
environment for consumers. licensing or registration regime for affiliates ¡ Improving coordination with gambling operators – it is in the inter-
who are active in the British gambling mar-
est of both sectors to seek a more consistent approach to regula-
ket, subject to the detail of any proposed
tion and compliance
system and the clear identification of the
We strongly believe the long-term sustain- benefits that it would provide to consumers. ¡ Transparency – assessing how consumers might best be made
ability and growth of the iGaming industry Although much can be done on a voluntary
aware of a commercial relationship exists between an affiliate and
are dependent on responsible operations by basis in pursuit of that, it has been concluded
an operator.
the businesses within the industry. This is not that the right way to ensure that standards
achieved by a single business, but rather by rise across the whole sector is for minimum
a collective effort. Therefore, we entered a requirements to be set out and implemented Read more about RAiG www.raig.org
partnership with our two affiliate peers. We by way of some form of licensing or registra-
recognise the role affiliate marketing provid- tion process.
ers must play as part of widening industry in-
itiatives in the UK to promote social respon-
sibility and a safer gambling environment for
consumers.
Better for Bettors Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 16CONTENTS
Operating a compliant business
Our commitment to being a sustainable business in of money laundering or fraud, in case of In 2020, RAiG completed a social responsi-
which we choose not to engage. bility audit, including an assessment of the
the iGaming universe is reflected in our business ethics, compliance of the UK-facing products with
where we conduct business in compliance with applicable Better Collective condemns the acts of cor- CAP and IGRG codes in the UK. The audit
laws, regulations, and standards. We promote our Code of ruption and bribery and we believe business conclusion was satisfying in terms of com-
should be conducted without facilitation pliance, and additionally, found Better Col-
Conduct as a guide for all our employees on the values and payments. Not only are they illegal; they also lective to be at best practice levels in several
standards of a compliant business. pose a threat to our trustworthiness and a areas. The audit prompted an update of our
risk to our partners, users, and authorities. Responsible Gambling policy and corre-
We have a zero-tolerance policy on corrup- sponding internal training setup.
tion which is described in our Code of Con-
duct. The Code of Conduct also outlines that
Better Collective is subject to a variety of na- processes for being continuously updated on all employees are to report on gifts, meals,
tional compliance regulations in the countries regulation and applying for licenses where and entertainment (received and offered) in
where we operate. Our policy proclaims that relevant. An in-house legal team is dedicated order to track and prevent conflicts of inter-
we must always comply with applicable leg- to this area and more resources were added est, of which no occurrences were confirmed
islation in the countries where we are repre- in 2019. Furthermore, this year we automat- in 2020.
sented and that we only may operate in reg- ed several compliance processes for our sites
ulated markets or markets where gambling is and we are continuing to apply automation Our whistleblower scheme facilitates anony-
accepted by the authorities (e.g. taxed). and the use of AI. mous reporting and we instruct all employ-
ees to speak up. During 2020, we have not
We seek to educate regulators, politicians, At the Global Regulatory Awards 2020 Better discovered or received any reports about
and users on what an affiliate is, what we do, Collective, was awarded the Award for Com- bribery, facilitation payment, or other forms
and to ensure that standards are set for the mitment to Compliance by an Affiliate Com- of corruption nor have we received any whis-
iGaming industry. We are a founding mem- pany. It is the second consecutive year, Better tleblower reports. The policy was updated
ber of the trade organisation Responsible Collective receives the award that recognises and rolled-out across offices in 2020, pre-
Affiliates in Gambling (RAiG, UK), member of excellence in the field of regulatory compli- senting a new reporting module compliant
Danish Online Gambling Association (DOGA, ance and responsible gambling. with GDPR.
DK), and member of Deutsche Verband für
TK und Medien (DVTM, DE). We do not engage with businesses operating For GDPR, we updated privacy notices and
in cryptocurrencies. When partnering with data processing agreements as well as imple-
Some countries have yet to adopt appropri- operators and reviewing acquisition targets, mented policies and guidelines. Additionally,
ate regulation of the relatively new online it is an integrated part of any due diligence our focus in 2020 was on updating our inter-
segment of gambling. This is why the reg- process to pay careful attention to any signs nal training, while integrating and consolidat-
ulatory landscape is still evolving. We have ing processes for recent acquisitions.
Better for Bettors Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 17CONTENTS
Environment
We continuously implement We partner with a travel platform to keep
track of our air travels to optimize our travel
greener practices to reduce programs, and to monitor our carbon foot-
our environmental impact. print as well as our environmental impact. As
of 2020, our Swedish, Danish, and British of-
fices book travels through this platform.
We have always been committed to making With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting so-
responsible decisions across all operations cieties worldwide, our efforts to travel less
– this is also the case when it comes to our were accelerated in unforeseen ways. Our
impact on the environment. As we are an on- 2020 emissions cannot be said to reflect an
line service company, our impact is relatively intentional reduction, however, the learnings
small. Still, we aim to minimise our carbon from these changed circumstances will likely
footprint and contribute to a greener envi- impact our behaviour in years to come.
ronment.
On a smaller scale, yet reflective of our
Calculating our carbon footprint for the responsible mindset, we implemented sev-
first time in 2019, it became evident that eral improvements in 2020. Switching to
air travel accounts for almost 75% of our green electricity in our Copenhagen HQ of-
emissions. With 12 offices in 9 countries fice, improving our waste management, and
and frequent participation in meetings and working with our caterers to minimise waste
conferences abroad, we value the personal in the lunch delivery are among the key ad-
contact in business relations and close ties- justments.
between our offices. However, in 2020 we
implemented a travel policy with the aim In contributing to a greener environment
of substituting a reasonable part of travel our initiatives have been limited throughout
with video conferencing. At our offices, re- 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. How-
mote meeting facilities are already in place ever, for the second consecutive year, our
and are continuously kept up to date in or- Niš office planted trees on BulevarMediana
der to facilitate online meetings as a feasible during November 2020. Such initiatives not
alternative. only contribute to a more sustainable envi-
ronment but also improve the local commu-
nity while strengthening solidarity between
our employees.
Better Community Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 18CONTENTS
People, our
key driver
Our business is based on specialised
expertise and innovation where peo-
ple are a core element in everything
that we do. Thus, we consistently
cultivate an employment environ-
ment that promotes and respects
the rights of the individual.
At Better Collective, we celebrate that our core val-
ues are built upon the principles of creating transpar-
ency and education within the iGaming industry. To
ensure that these values are adhered to, we rely on
our Code of Conduct to train our employees about
how we expect and enforce our business practices.
The Code of Conduct, implemented in 2018, is an in-
tegral part of Better Collective’s onboarding program
for new employees. Our local “Employee Handbooks”
guide a range of practicalities and express our val-
ues while they also guide many of our policies on the
work-life conditions at Better Collective.
Being a company founded by Danes, our Scandina-
vian heritage has a big influence on how we interact
with each other and with the outside world. It has
given us a unique perspective on transparency in the
iGaming industry, which remains at the core of all our
operations, where our Scandinavian heritage also
serves as inspiration for attracting and retaining em-
ployees. We actively practice the notion of work-life
balance, while the notions of trust, empowerment,
and respect play key roles in our leadership.
Better Community Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 19CONTENTS
35%
All new employees, including those welcomed the underrepresented gender. In 2020, Mr. assess health and safety risks and generate
from acquired companies, are introduced to Todd Dunlap joined the board, resulting in a preventive solutions. The committee issues
Better Collective and our policies through an board consisting of five men and one woman. guidelines, performs workplace evaluations,
extensive onboarding program. We conduct Therefore, the target figure was not reached and maintains the fire instructions and evac-
biannual development dialogues to discuss in 2020. In the recruitment of new board uation plan. Target of women in
performance and further development. In members, the company and its nomination management
2019, a new leadership development initia- committee seek to realise the target no later The Covid-19 pandemic posed, and continues in 2023 at the latest
tive was implemented to ensure continuous than 2023. to pose, a threat to everyone’s mental and
professional development of our managers to physical well being, hence our employees’
match the ever-changing nature of our busi- The executive management is made up of health has been a main concern to us. Our
ness. By supporting the professional and per- three men, whereas for the other manage- offices were creative in finding new ways to
sonal development of our managers, we ena- ment levels, the gender split in 2020 was 83% socialize and stay active during the COVID-19
ble them to identify and deal with challenges men and 17% women (2019: 80% men and lockdowns, with initiatives ranging from on-
in their respective teams. Ultimately, such ini- 20% women). Recruitment and promotion of line yoga classes to virtual bingo nights. Our
tiatives ensure the well-being of all employees managers in 2020 were performed with the office in Niš took part in the DIGITAL Serbia
and make Better Collective an attractive and aim to increase diversity, and we continually Business Run which served a twofold pur-
respected workplace. work to increase the share of the underrepre- pose: attending to employees’ health during
sented gender at all management levels and isolation and scholarship donations.
Better Collective aims to offer equal oppor- aim for a target of 35% women no later than
tunities to everyone across our organisation 2023.
and promotes equal opportunities regardless
of gender, ethnicity, race, religion, national- In 2020, we increased the awareness of pos-
ity, and sexual orientation. Building on our sible bias in our recruitment processes, in- Gender split in management levels in 2020
ambition to continuously develop a diverse cluding job ad terminology and screening.
organisation with a mutually respectful and We are implementing additional initiatives in
transparent atmosphere, we adhere to the 2021 to further the gender equality agenda
83% 17%
Policy on Equal Employment Opportunities. and ensure equal opportunities. We imple-
All decisions regarding employment and de- mented an anti-harassment policy and pre-
velopment will be made per this policy. pared training for roll-out in 2021.
For gender diversity at the board of direc- We give priority to health and safety at work
tors’ level, the company has set a target for according to the regulations and standards in Men Women
the board to consist of five to seven mem- the countries in which we operate. We have
bers, with a minimum of two members of established a health and safety committee to
Better Community Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 20CONTENTS
Local communities
We acknowledge our responsibility to go beyond
our core business and take pride in actively
contributing to the local communities in which
we are active.
As an internationally operating business, In our communal efforts, we believe it is para-
we have an increasingly important role to mount to support the local youth. This is why
play in securing sustainable communities. our office in Niš implemented the Better Future
We strongly believe that adding value to the programme in 2020. The programme aims to
communities where we operate, positively support young adults in choosing their future
affects our business and competitiveness. careers by presenting them with attractive pro-
fessions of the future through short videos and
Most of our community work is currently fo- content published in local magazines.
cused on our operations in Niš, under the pro-
gram name “Better Niš”. As one of the largest Our offices in Copenhagen, Paris, and Thes-
tech employers in Niš, we recognise our role saloniki all employ students or interns. During
and potential impact on the local community, 2020, the Copenhagen office employed 16
which is why this became the point of de- students, whereas the Paris office employed
parture for our Better Community program. four, and our office in Thessaloniki had one in-
Small scale initiatives in Niš during 2020 in- tern. We find that by offering these positions
cluded sponsoring the job fair at the Faculty we contribute to the local communities by
of Electronics, participation in the online IT supporting the students and interns in their
conference with ITkonekt, and partaking in education and future and many are offered
the “pick and choose” program, which assists employment after completing their studies.
graduates in finding their future paths. We look forward to 2021 and hope it will be a
year where we again can allow for more interns
and student to join our organisation.
Better Community Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 21CONTENTS
Hackathon: Your code for a better world
In December 2020, Better
Collective Niš organised a
42-hour online hackathon for
IT-interested students and
young developers to create
digital environmental solu-
tions that can contribute to a
more sustainable world.
The Better Collective Hackathon hosted in
December 2020, was part of BC Niš’ sus-
tainable development initiative. The hack-
athon was initiated in order to support the
local IT community in Niš, especially during
the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the hacka-
thon was also educational in that it enabled
young people and students to gain valuable
IT development experiences and knowledge
through teamwork.
In order to address these environmental chal-
lenges, the contestants were given 42 hours
to create digital environmental solutions that See the highlights from
can contribute to a more sustainable world. the Hackathon event
Better Community Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 22CONTENTS
In an effort to protect the environment and to
contribute to the local community, BC Niš combined
its own experiences and expertise with the forces of
Five teams all from different cities across Ser- The runner-up became “Three and a half 18 bright and enthusiastic young people. The themes
bia competed, and were evaluated by a jury men”, a team who created the application of the competition covered seven of the 17 SDGs:
consisting of four developers and one sustain- “Don’t be dumb” which mediates anonymous
ability representative from the Better Collec- environmental reporting problems to the re-
tive office in Niš. sponsible institution. The application sends
emails to the authorities and works by users
The winning team was “Rick’s Solutions”, a locating environmental issues and entering
team that devised a platform named EcoRock, the type of problem occurring (air/water/
which connects socially responsible compa- soil pollution). Based on the entered data,
nies with environmentally conscientious indi- the application proposes a list of competent
viduals. Through a system of rewards, the plat- institutions and respective email addresses
form encourages the responsible behaviour to report to. This solution covered two of the
of individuals. Users can register, and based seven SDGs: Sustainable cities and communi-
on their level of environmentally responsible ties, and climate action.
actions, the users can collect points that can
be used for a discount or purchase from so- The third place went to team Econet, for the
cially responsible partnering companies. The application of the same name. Members of
platform seeks to motivate environmentally this team focused their activities on the ed-
friendly events, recycling in smart bins, and ucation of the users. Their application raises
green energy production. This solution cov- awareness on how pollution affects the envi-
ered four of seven identified SDGs: Clean water ronment, where users in the application can
and sanitation, clean and affordable energy, enter various pollution parameters which will
climate action, and life on land. change the appearance of the ecosystem.
This application allows the users to dive into
a problem through VR technology. This solu-
tion covered two of the seven SDGs: Quality
education and life below water.
Better Community Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 23CONTENTS
Getting better during COVID-19
A flexible business model, adaptable
mindsets & a strong community
Everyone at Better Collective has been ex-
ceptional at adjusting to the new normal we
all face due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Denmark went into a full lockdown on March
11, 2020, and as a result, the majority of
our employees at the Copenhagen office
have been working from home since then.
Other offices followed, and during 2020 all
employees have been working from home to
some extent. At Better Collective we follow
and adhere to the guidelines set out by the
authorities in the respective countries in
which we operate.
Assessing the impact
With the pandemic affecting all our employ-
ees, we across offices asked teams to share
their reflections on the COVID-19 pandemic
and its effect on work conditions Overall, the
survey found that working from home did not
have a negative effect on employees’ produc-
tivity. Rather, we saw many positive effects of
the changing work conditions. We learnt that
working from home, in some instances, can
be more efficient as people experience fewer
interruptions and noise disturbances. In the
following some of the most frequently pros
and cons of working from home have been
listed:
Covid-19 Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 24CONTENTS
Pros ¡ Not everyone thrives with working from ¡ The most valuable lesson we take with
¡ Working from home had a positive impact home, it could be down to the solidary na- us from this extraordinary experience: The
on the work/life balance. ture or a practical matter of sharing small pandemic has truly reaffirmed our belief
spaces. that collaboration and strong collectives
¡ The collaboration across teams and coun- are the better way forth.
tries has improved as the majority of BC Building an even Better Workplace
employees have been working from home While we hope for a brighter 2021 and
which has resulted in more equitable for societies worldwide to come back to
work conditions. Everyone had to partic- a normalised situation, we did learn a lot
ipate virtually instead of some employees from the pandemic. We appreciate the team
meeting in person while others joining spirit of Better Collective’s employees and
virtually. will continue to nurture a corporate culture
of dedication as one of our core values.
¡ Since the Danish lockdown initiated in
mid-March, only a few cases of sickness ¡ In the future, Better Collective will be
have been registered even more flexible with working sched-
ules as working from home has proven
Cons efficient to the work and beneficial to our
¡ Creativity thrives better when working employees
together physically. We acknowledge the
vital impact that physical human contact ¡ We will build on the increased connected
and interaction have on the quality of ness as employees have been engaging
work, creativity, and employee satisfac- much more in teams and virtual calls
tion. across the organisation. Positive experien
ces with virtual meetings will support our
¡ It can be difficult to assess the negative efforts to reduce air travel and thereby
impact on our employees’ mental well-be- our carbon footprint.
ing. Our employees may have experienced
job insecurity during the months of halted ¡ We take pride in the extra effort made
sports events. Other aspects of every- during a difficult time as well as the
day life have been affected as social life flexibility shown as we redistributed
and joyous events have been limited or resources internally from one area of
canceled. Travel restrictions meant that the business to another.
a number of employees, not working in
their native countries, have been unable
to travel home to see friends and families.
Covid-19 Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 25CONTENTS
Our approach
Reporting methodology and scope
We are a data-driven business in many respects.
Collecting, analysing, and presenting sustainability
data adds credibility to our reporting and guides
our efforts.
The present report covers the financial year our business and to the societies we oper- have reached an average accuracy level
January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020. The ate within. These topics have been selected based on the data delivered to the third par-
report addresses any relevant ethical, social, and prioritised based on a range of inputs ty and we expect to improve the accuracy of
and environmental issues relating to Better gathered e.g. from a materiality assess- our carbon reporting going forward. Site en-
Collective’s activities. To give our stakehold- ment by Better Collective’s management ergy consumption is a combination of actual
ers an overview of our performances, the re- and the Sustainability Committee, dialogue data and estimates based on total floor area
port puts forth our current sustainability ef- over time with our primary stakeholders for and or employee count.
forts and presents our focus areas, ambitions, sustainability, and the board. We consider
achievements, and goals. Better Collective’s our stakeholders for sustainability to be our For travel data, a new reporting system im-
2020 sustainability report forms part of the shareholders, our partners and users, our plemented in 2020 has improved the accura-
management report in the company’s annual employees, regulatory authorities, and soci- cy of the data. The continued growth through
report in compliance with the Danish Finan- ety as a whole. acquisitions in recent years means that the
cial Statements Act, Section 99a and Section newer offices are not accounted for with the
99b. The sustainability data collection in the same accuracy as our long-standing opera-
present report relates to Better Collective’s tions.
This report is structured around the Ten Prin- operations from 2020, and further address-
ciples of the UN Global Compact and further es our ambitions and targets for the future.
incorporates two of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Initiating the data collection in 2019, compa-
Development Goals supported by ESG (Envi- rable data from our operations over time is
ronmental, Social, Governance) key metrics still limited. Furthermore, we are focused on
according to the recommendations set forth continually improving the data quality as re-
by Nasdaq and reported to the Nasdaq ESG porting structures for sustainability data are
Data Portal. implemented.
The report primarily focuses on the topics We have used a third party to calculate our
that are considered the most important to carbon emission across all operations. We
Our approach Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 26CONTENTS
ESG Matters and Key Figures
Unit Target 2020 2019 2018 ESG matters
Being a prominent sports betting media group in the iGaming industry, we recognise our
Environmental data responsibility and we are aware of the impact we have on the global iGaming industry, the
CO₂e, scope 1 Metric tonnes - 73.53 118.41 - rest of society, and Better Collective’s other stakeholders. We have the ambition to use our
CO₂e, scope 2 Metric tonnes - 49.99 215.14 - leading position to influence and support responsible gambling and the sustainable develop-
ment of our industry.
CO₂e, scope 3 Metric tonnes - 176.88 730.14 -
Total tonnes of CO₂e Metric tonnes - 300.41 1,063.69 A central element of our business model is to deliver traffic to iGaming operators. We rely
Tonnes of CO₂e per on the operators, as in our partners, to scan for user behaviour and take action when a user
employee Times - 0.72 2.92 shows signs of at-risk and problem gambling behaviour. Due to our position in the value
chain, and that all actual bets are placed with an operator, we have limited data on our users,
Tonnes of CO₂e per
no KYC requirements, no money handling, nor any exposure to money laundering issues. We
mEUR turnover Times - 3.30 15.76
do not engage with businesses operating in cryptocurrencies.
Social data Income tax
Full-time workforce FTE - 420 364 198 Better Collective has tax-presence in the places where the company is incorporated, which
Gender diversity % 35 30 31 - are Denmark (where the parent company is incorporated), Austria, France, Greece, Malta,
Romania, the UK, the US, Poland, Serbia, and Sweden.
Gender diversity, management % 35 17 17 14
Gender pay ratio Times - 1.84 1.45 - Income tax for 2020 amounted to 6,785 tEUR (2019: 4,810 tEUR).
Employee turnover ratio % - 21.15 13.79 -
Sickness absense Days per FTE - 1.13 2.04 - Environment
Environmental data covers the Group’s operations in Denmark, Serbia, USA, Poland, UK,
France, Sweden, Greece, and Austria. The data is derived from actual consumption in Co-
Governance data penhagen (HQ) and Nis, Serbia. For the remaining sites, the emissions have been estimated
Gender diversity, board % 28.50 17 20 20 based on either floor area or employee count.
Board meeting attendance % - 97 100 95
The GHG report has been prepared in accordance with Part 1 of ISO 14064: 2018. The GHG
CEO pay ratio Times - 8.27 9,12 - inventory, report, or statement has not been verified. Carbon Footprint’s analysts have cal-
culated Better Collective’s footprint using the 2020 conversion factors developed by the UK
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for Busi-
ness, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Where international offices have been included
within the scope of the assessment, the 2020 emissions factors released by the Association
of Issuing Bodies (AIB) have been used for the European sites. For the US sites, the 2018 EPA
eGRid factors have been used. These factors are multiplied with the company’s GHG activity
data. Carbon Footprint has selected this preferred method of calculation as a government
recognised approach and uses data that is realistically available from the client, particularly
when direct monitoring is either unavailable or prohibitively expensive.
The reporting period for the year 2020 runs from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020.
ESG Matters and Key Figures Sustainability report 2020 Better Collective 27You can also read
