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Gamcare Expert Joins Anti Identity Fraud Company

GB Group has appointed Michael Smeaton as business development consultant for URU

Wednesday 23rd February 2005

GB Group, the leading provider of identity authentication and fraud prevention solutions for the gaming industry, has appointed Michael Smeaton as business development consultant for URU, the web based identity and age verification service.

Michael joins from GamCare, the registered charity and leading authority on the social impact of gambling, where he spent five years, progressing from education officer to remote gambling specialist.

In his new role, Michael will continue to work closely with GamCare on the development of social and corporate responsibility certification programmes, whilst using his industry expertise to develop the consultancy services that will maintain GB’s leading position for age and identity verification solutions in line with industry needs.

Professor Peter Collins, chief executive of GamCare, said: “We thank Michael for his enthusiasm and commitment over the past five years and his significant contribution to the development of the industry social responsibility code of practice.

“We wish him well in his new role with GB Group and look forward to maintaining a close working relationship as we promote best practice within the remote gambling industry.”

Commenting on the appointment, Richard Law, chief executive of GB Group, said: “We are delighted to welcome Michael to GB Group. His long association with GamCare and understanding of the remote gambling industry will be invaluable as we seek to build on the success of URU™, the age and identity verification system developed jointly with BT.

“His knowledge, experience and contacts will ensure that GB Group can expand the service it offers the remote gambling market and ensure those companies that wish to demonstrate their commitment to social and corporate responsibility have access to the consultancy and solutions that will enable them to do so.”

Issued on behalf of GB Group plc by Citypress PR.

Press information: Paul Cook or Marianne Olsson, Citypress PR, 0161 606 0260 or paul.cook@citypress.co.uk.

Editor’s notes

About URUä

·GB Group is recognised as one of the most innovative data services companies in the UK, working with household name clients, across a number of market sectors, including Scottish Power, Standard Life and Thomas Cook. GB’s core values of Quality, Innovation and Excellence are ensuring our continued success as we compete in our existing markets and develop new opportunities.

·GB’s products and services are based upon in-depth knowledge of population, location and personal identification data, along with core technology and exoerience in developing innovative data solutions to address critical, modern day business challenges. For example, identity verification, maintaining data quality, rapid data capture and storage and customer data analysis are all services provided to GB’s clients which help them to make better business decisions faster.

·Over the last 12 months, GB has demonstrated its adaptability to develop new business opportunities by launching its URU™ service in conjunction with BT.

·URUä can verify single or multiple customer records, minimising exceptions handling instantly, confirm a name and address, link to payment card details, produce an age verified certification and retain a full audit history – in seconds.

·URUä is the only service that checks multiple age and identity sources including Driving Licence and Passports. The service has an unrivalled breadth of both UK and International population data sources, available for instantaneous reference.

·URUä can be up and running in under 1 hour and seamlessly integrated to meet individual requirements within a week.

·URUä proactively supports responsible industry practices and gambling legislation, plus helps meet the principles of the 2nd European Money Laundering Directive, Data Protection Act and Proceeds Of Crime Act.

About GB Group plc

·GB Group plc provides a range of products and services to enable organisations to capitalise on one of their greatest assets – customer data. The company has expertise across a range of sectors and is able to transform customer data into valuable information, enabling clients to make better, more informed decisions.

·The development of innovative software and services, through to the provision of the UK’s most comprehensive consumer business database - The National Register® - positions GB Group as a widely acknowledged industry leader in this specialist area.

·GB Group plc has three business areas:

-The Data Authentication business helps businesses validate personal identity information and provides anti-fraud solutions to fight crime.

-The Data Integrity business helps companies capture and maintain accurate customer contact data, an essential foundation for any profitable customer relationship.

-The Data Solutions business empowers companies to consolidate and analyse customer data from various sources, enabling them to make better, more informed decisions.

·Established since 1989, GB’s core competencies combined with industry sector knowledge have enabled the company to deliver significant value to organisations such as WHSmith, npower and Coral Racing, in helping them derive maximum value from their customer data and sustain real advantage over their competition.

·GB Group is supported by its key relationships with organisations such as British Telecom, with whom it partners on major initiatives, together with a team of highly talented and motivated staff successfully delivering solutions.

·GB Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (www.gb.co.uk).




Source: OnlineCasinoNews