Will Mace joins Mindway AI to advance player safety

Mindway AI has announced a strategic partnership with Will Mace, a recognised figure in the safer gambling sector, as the company expands its focus on responsible gambling innovation. Mace joins the organisation as Head of Strategic Programmes and will lead a major initiative aimed at improving how gambling operators interact with players who may be experiencing gambling-related risks.

The appointment reflects a growing industry focus on not only identifying potentially harmful gambling behaviour but also improving the quality and effectiveness of operator interventions. Mindway AI believes that combining advanced technology with behavioural science and practical operational expertise can help create more effective player protection strategies.

A new phase for player protection

For many years, safer gambling efforts have focused heavily on risk detection. Operators and technology providers have invested significant resources into identifying behavioural patterns that may indicate gambling-related harm.

However, once a potential risk is identified, the next step often becomes more complex. Operators must determine how and when to engage with players in a way that is both effective and proportionate. Regulatory expectations continue to evolve across multiple jurisdictions, yet practical guidance on intervention methods can vary considerably.

Mindway AI’s latest initiative aims to address this challenge by developing a structured framework that supports more evidence-based customer interactions. The company intends to examine how interventions can be designed, delivered and evaluated to achieve better outcomes for both players and operators.

The programme will focus on identifying suitable moments for engagement, selecting effective communication methods and measuring the impact of interactions through objective assessment models.

Why the industry is focusing on interaction quality

Industry discussions around safer gambling increasingly recognise that risk identification alone may not be sufficient. While technological solutions can highlight behavioural concerns, the effectiveness of subsequent engagement often determines whether meaningful change occurs.

This challenge has attracted growing attention from regulators, operators and responsible gambling specialists. Many stakeholders acknowledge that intervention frameworks require stronger evidence bases and more consistent measurement standards.

Mindway AI believes that there is an opportunity to improve industry understanding of what makes player interactions successful. The company intends to explore how behavioural science principles can support more personalised communication strategies and encourage safer gambling behaviours.

The initiative is expected to investigate various factors that may influence outcomes, including communication timing, message content and intervention intensity.

Will Mace brings extensive industry experience

Will Mace arrives at Mindway AI with a substantial background across several areas of the safer gambling ecosystem. Prior to joining the company, he served as Group Player Safety Director at evoke.

Throughout his career, Mace has held positions with a range of organisations involved in player protection, gambling regulation and support services. His experience includes work with Kindred, EQ-Connect, GamProtect, the Beacon Counselling Trust, the Armed Forces Gambling Support Network and the Gambling Commission Financial Risk Working Group.

This broad professional background provides a combination of operational, regulatory and support-sector knowledge that aligns closely with Mindway AI’s objectives.

The company believes that Mace’s experience will help guide the development of practical frameworks that can be applied across different operator environments and regulatory settings.

Combining behavioural science with technology

A key component of the new programme involves integrating behavioural research into technological solutions.

Mindway AI has built its reputation around advanced player protection tools, particularly its GameScanner platform. The technology uses behavioural analysis and artificial intelligence to help identify gambling patterns that may indicate elevated levels of risk.

The new initiative seeks to extend these capabilities beyond risk detection. By incorporating research findings into operational frameworks, the company aims to create more personalised intervention models that can adapt to individual behavioural markers.

According to Mindway AI, this approach may help operators move away from broad, one-size-fits-all measures and toward more targeted safeguarding practices.

Such a model could potentially improve player outcomes while allowing operators to maintain more sustainable customer relationships through proportionate interventions.

Industry demand for measurable outcomes

One of the challenges facing safer gambling programmes is the measurement of effectiveness. While operators frequently implement player protection initiatives, evaluating the success of those efforts can be difficult.

Mindway AI intends to place a strong emphasis on measurement and evidence gathering. The company plans to explore methods that assess the impact of interventions against specific behavioural indicators and risk factors.

This focus on measurable outcomes is expected to support both commercial and regulatory objectives. Operators increasingly require demonstrable evidence that their player protection strategies are achieving intended results.

By developing structured evaluation frameworks, the initiative aims to contribute to broader industry understanding of intervention effectiveness.

Leadership comments on the partnership

Commenting on the appointment, Mindway AI Chief Executive Officer Rasmus Kjaergaard highlighted the importance of combining risk detection with effective engagement strategies.

He stated:

“Identifying harm is a technical triumph we have mastered with GameScanner, but identification is only as good as the interactions and intervention that follows. Operators are crying out for a scientific, measurable way to interact with players effectively. Will Mace’s phenomenal track record across major operators, regulatory working groups and clinical support networks give us the perfect blend of insight to build a full-service safer gambling ecosystem.”

Will Mace also shared his thoughts on joining the company:

“I have long admired the team at Mindway AI and am very excited to start working with them on this fascinating and important initiative.”

Supporting the future of responsible gambling

The partnership represents an important development in Mindway AI’s broader strategy to expand its role within the responsible gambling technology sector.

As regulatory expectations continue to evolve, operators are increasingly seeking solutions that combine compliance requirements with practical player protection outcomes. Research-driven frameworks supported by measurable data may become an increasingly important component of future safer gambling programmes.

Mindway AI’s investment in this area demonstrates a commitment to advancing industry knowledge and developing tools that support both player welfare and operational effectiveness.

Conclusion

The appointment of Will Mace as Head of Strategic Programmes marks a significant step in Mindway AI’s ongoing development within the player protection space. By combining Mace’s extensive experience across regulation, operations and support services with the company’s established expertise in behavioural analysis and artificial intelligence, the initiative aims to address one of the industry’s most complex challenges: how to engage effectively with players once risk has been identified.

While research into intervention effectiveness remains an evolving field, the programme seeks to contribute meaningful evidence and practical frameworks that may help shape future responsible gambling practices. As operators continue to balance regulatory obligations with customer engagement goals, initiatives focused on measurable and personalised interventions are likely to attract increasing attention across the global gambling industry.

FAQs

What is the focus of Will Mace’s new role at Mindway AI?
Will Mace will lead strategic programmes focused on improving how gambling operators engage with players and evaluate the effectiveness of responsible gambling interventions.

Who is Will Mace?
Will Mace is a safer gambling specialist with experience across operator, regulatory and support service environments including roles at evoke, Kindred and other industry organisations.

What is Mindway AI?
Mindway AI is a technology company that develops artificial intelligence and behavioural science solutions designed to support responsible gambling and player protection efforts.

What is GameScanner?
GameScanner is Mindway AI’s player protection platform that analyses gambling behaviour patterns to help identify potential indicators of gambling-related risk.

Why are player interactions important in safer gambling?
Player interactions are important because identifying risk alone may not reduce harm. Effective communication and intervention strategies can help encourage safer gambling behaviours.

What challenges does the new initiative aim to address?
The initiative aims to improve understanding of when operators should intervene, how interventions should be delivered and how outcomes can be measured.

Will the programme involve academic research?
The project is expected to incorporate research-led approaches and behavioural science principles to strengthen the evidence base for player protection strategies.

How could operators benefit from this work?
Operators may gain access to more structured frameworks for player engagement, helping improve compliance efforts and intervention effectiveness.

What experience does Will Mace bring to the role?
He brings experience from gambling operators, support organisations, industry initiatives and regulatory working groups focused on player safety.

What does this partnership mean for Mindway AI?
The partnership supports Mindway AI’s goal of expanding its responsible gambling capabilities and strengthening its position as a provider of player protection technology.