Buzz Bingo build the capability of internal audit and deliver customer value in a complex risk environment
Buzz Bingo is the leading bingo operator in the UK, with 82 bingo clubs across England and Scotland, and a range of online gaming options
Their mission statement is to be the number one choice for bingo throughout the UK.
The ability to achieve this is affected by the complex risk landscape and the changing expectations of consumers.
Aaron Tolley is the Head of Audit for Buzz Bingo. He joined the company to build a dedicated team for internal audit, bringing with him a wealth of industry experience:
“This will be my 27th year in bingo.”, says Aaron.
“I started part time while I was at university for beer money and until I got a proper job. But of course, that ‘proper job’ never comes!
“I started on the ground floor and then worked my way up and then I moved from the retail business over to the audit team.”
Operating in a broad and complex risk environment
The portfolio of on-premise and online services that Buzz Bingo provide to their customers means that a broad range of regulations apply, including:
• Gambling legislation
• GDPR
• Food safety
• Health and safety
• Fire safety
“There are so many policies and statutory requirements that must be fulfilled, and my team provides assurance this is happening – not just at club level, but at central support level too.”
Customer safety is very much at the heart of their approach: “There are many angles that we approach customer safety from.
We always ask ourselves – are we doing everything we can to help our customers practice safer gambling? For example, we give assurance that games are being promoted correctly and in line with regulations, and that we are delivering the service that customers expect.”
Operating in a broad and complex risk environment
The portfolio of on-premise and online services that Buzz Bingo provide to their customers means that a broad range of regulations apply, including:
• Gambling legislation
• GDPR
• Food safety
• Health and safety
• Fire safety
“There are so many policies and statutory requirements that must be fulfilled, and my team provides assurance this is happening – not just at club level, but at central support level too.”
Customer safety is very much at the heart of their approach: “There are many angles that we approach customer safety from.
We always ask ourselves – are we doing everything we can to help our customers practice safer gambling? For example, we give assurance that games are being promoted correctly and in line with regulations, and that we are delivering the service that customers expect.”
I call it a ‘one stop shop’ for the whole audit framework lifecycle. It gives me confidence in our assurance process, because we know we capture everything.
Digital risk and customer safety online
As with most companies, the digital world is a growing area of risk for Buzz Bingo.
“We had to rethink our strategy during covid because physical venues were closed,” explains Aaron.
“This moved us more on to digital platforms. It means we can deliver more options to customers in line with our business aims.
Of course, this comes with its own risks.”
As fairly new entrants into the digital market, it was important for the audit team to establish clear ways of working:
“There are bigger risks there in getting the controls, processes and practices in place. There are so many controls that we need for the online environment. They cover GDPR, jurisdiction control, money laundering, and gambling regulations, just to name a few.
“We are really focused on keeping our customers safe in that online environment.”
Digital risk and customer safety online
As with most companies, the digital world is a growing area of risk for Buzz Bingo.
“We had to rethink our strategy during covid because physical venues were closed,” explains Aaron.
“This moved us more on to digital platforms. It means we can deliver more options to customers in line with our business aims.
Of course, this comes with its own risks.”
As fairly new entrants into the digital market, it was important for the audit team to establish clear ways of working:
“There are bigger risks there in getting the controls, processes and practices in place. There are so many controls that we need for the online environment. They cover GDPR, jurisdiction control, money laundering, and gambling regulations, just to name a few.
“We are really focused on keeping our customers safe in that online environment.”
Jurisdiction control in the online environment
Buzz Bingo is permitted to operate in the UK and Ireland, and a key focus for Aaron over the next year will be making sure that customer activity stays there:
“We can’t let people gamble from outside of our allowable jurisdictions. So, if we found someone gambling from Brazil, for example, that would be outside of our terms and conditions.
“We have controls in place to stop people registering for Buzz Bingo services from abroad. This includes the ability to see IP addresses and run checks on debit cards.”
Controlling cash-related risks
“Aside from the statute side, there’s a lot of cash-related risk. Bingo companies are very cash rich, so we need to think about things like security, theft, loss, error and robbery.
Audit sits there to provide assurance that controls are in place to mitigate these risks.”
Building a top-performing team
Aaron came to Buzz Bingo to build a dedicated function for internal audit. He applied his years of expertise to hire and train a new team, establish systems, and roll out a consistent methodology.
Training and management
“Having everyone work in a single platform gives me better oversight as a manager. In many ways it acts as a training solution to help my
audit team get better in their roles. I can review their fieldwork and reporting, and then make suggestions for improvements.”
Moving from manual processes to software
Having made the transition from manual processes to software in a previous role, Aaron knew how much it would support the team:
“We had many processes in place, including spreadsheets, shared folders, and word documents. There wasn’t a single repository that covered working papers, shared findings, recommendations and reports.
This made it harder to establish the actual processes and systems that internal audit teams need to work to.”
Successes
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Built a dedicated internal audit function
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Upskilled and grew the capabilities of the internal audit team
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Established consistent methodologies and processes
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Grew the digital product portfolio while protecting customer safety online
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Replaced manual processes to support best practice
The quality of our reports is much better. They are more accurate, and they give a balanced picture of the audit.
Improving the quality and impact of reports
The ability to provide timely and accurate reports is often a challenge for audit teams. Aaron points out that the quality of the reports can have a direct impact on its influence:
“The quality of our reports is much better. They are more accurate, and they give a balanced picture if the audit.
They’re also easier to read – we avoid grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and the lack of context that can sometimes ruin reports.
Because if that’s what people are reading, then they’re not really taking notice of what’s actually in the report.”
Why Ideagen was chosen as the best internal audit solution for Buzz Bingo
When choosing a software platform for his new internal audit team, Aaron didn’t need to shop around:
“In the bingo company I worked for previously, we also went through the process of moving from manual processes to software.
We chose Ideagen Internal Audit, and I used it for eight years – so I knew this would be the ideal fit for the team at Buzz Bingo.
“We use the software for all our day-to-day activities. I call it a ‘one stop shop’ for the whole audit framework lifecycle.
It gives me confidence in our assurance process, because we know we capture everything.”
Stand-out features for the team:
• Audit universe
• Work programs
• Audit trail
• Secure working