A Sure Win launched a dedicated gambling help hotline on Wednesday in a push to promote "responsible gaming behavior", according to the web shop's CEO Leander Brice.
While the hotline was launched primarily to provide counseling to people with gambling problems, Brice said assistance is available to anyone for other issues.
"We have hired professional counselors," Brice said. "They are well trained and well educated.
"They are prepared to help in not just gaming, but any addictions, alcohol, drugs etc.
"They have been doing this for years. It is new to all of us, but it is just a new take.
"The counselors are trained and they are prepared to help."
Web shops are mandated to contribute to charitable and social programs, but the regulations and Gaming Act also call for the protection and treatment of gambling addicts.
According to the 2014 Gaming House Operator Regulations, a license holder shall "provide gamblers and potential problem gamblers with sufficient information and assistance to enable them to obtain proper counseling or access to an appropriate support organization".
If required by the Gaming Board, web shops must take steps to limit or cease gaming activities with a specified patron.
"As we moved into the second phase of our responsible gaming campaign we began preparing to launch a 24/7 help hotline, a major public awareness campaign to launch healthy gambling habits," Brice said.
"Well, in recent days we have established a gaming organization in The Bahamas.
"And throughout establishing that, and a lot of things the government is going to put forward, we will be able to block accounts to prevent those persons who have addictions."
Brice said A Sure Win will challenge other web shops to prevent people the company has placed on a stop list from gambling with their organizations.
The stop list will be created upon the web shop obtaining a gaming house operator license, according to Brice.
When asked what incentive web shops have to prevent troubled patrons from using their services, Brice said, "We all have a corporate responsibility in making sure that persons who gamble, gamble responsibly."
Asked whether the hotline will be discontinued if A Sure Win does not obtain that license, Brice said it will be maintained either way.
The Gaming Act came into effect on November 24.
The request for proposal (RFP) process is expected to begin within the next few weeks.
A Sure Win has 37 locations and more than 185 employees throughout The Bahamas.
Its counselors can be reached on 328-4842 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., seven days a week.

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