Responsible Gambling – A Staple in the Industry!
In their interest in providing land-based services online, many industries became easily accessible just with the click of a button. Gambling is no exception, and in the last two decades, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of online operators who constantly improve their offerings and platforms for the wide public.
However, one can easily fall in the trap of the constant hunt for winnings, leading to addiction, personal problems and shattered life. But how do you fight these problems? Stay with us as we reveal the importance of responsible gambling mechanisms not only in this review, but in other useful materials as well:
How is Responsible Gambling Fighting Gambling Addiction?
UK Responsible gaming needs to be well-defined for players so that it ensures awareness by fully describing the risks that come with it. This way not only will gamblers be informed of potential outcomes, but online operators keep their reputations intact through constant reminders that you need to play responsibly. Without further ado, let’s see how gambling responsibility is ensured for players:
- providing information of game characteristics
- constantly reminding players that gambling can be addictive
- undergoing third-party checks that ensure safety and transparency of games
- giving the option for gamblers to set their deposit limits
- providing players with self-exclusion options for a pre-defined period
- listing contact information for responsible gambling organisations
- encouraging players to bet within affordable limits
- performing ID verification, therefore ensuring that underage gambling is prevented
- players can optionally set time limits
These options can all be helpful for players who are self-conscious about the risks that come with playing for money online. However, the psychology of gambling can sometimes be unpredictable and a person can reach extreme lengths without even noticing it. Generally speaking, we’re talking about serious addictive behaviour where additional help is needed.
Contact Information of Responsible Gambling Organisations
The measures above might not be enough for people with serious gambling issues, but if further help is needed, some companies provide the needed solutions. Whether it would be in the form of verbal guidance, courses or any other form of support, these organisations make sure to offer a way out for problematic gamblers. That’s why below we’ve listed some of the most popular non-profit gambling companies alongside their contact information:
| Name | Phone Number | Address | Working Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GamCare | info@gamcare.org.uk | 020 7801 7000 | GamCare, 1st Floor, 91-94 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8QP | 24/7 |
| Gamblers Anonymous | isomain@gamblersanonymous.org | (626) 960-3500 | 4981 Irwindale Avenue suite 700 Irwindale, CA 91706 | 24/7 |
| Responsible Gambling Council | N/A, a contact form is provided | +1 (416) 499-9800 | 411 Richmond Street East, Suite 205 Toronto, Ontario M5A 3S5 | 24/7 |
| BeGambleAware | N/A, a contact form is provided | 0808 8020 133 | Pennine Place 2a Charing Cross Rd London WC2H 0HF | 24/7 |
| National Council on Problem Gambling | ncpg@ncpgambling.org | 202.547.9204 | 730 11th St, NW, Ste 601 Washington, DC 20001 | 24/7 |
Environmental Aspects of Responsible Gambling
While preventing addiction is one of the purposes of responsible gambling, there are other aspects needed to secure a safe playing environment. Although they are related to legal obligations on the side of operators, they do have a positive effect on players and are an inevitable part of the whole experience. The fight with the grey market is fierce, so the following factors need to be present at all regulated operators for the provision of responsible gambling services:
- Preventing fraudulent activity – operators need to provide a safe gambling experience through the implementation of anti-money laundering technology, and verification checks by well-defined know your customer processes.
- Make sure to target their audience correctly – marketing materials and overall ad management should be done in a way which doesn’t affect or target minors and self-excluded gamblers.
- Players should have a say – each operator should provide a clear and understandable process of receiving and resolving customer complaints promptly.
- Be officially regulated – gambling operators need to be licenced by a legal body which ensures their trustworthiness and transparency.
- Personal information security – sensitive data such as names, addresses, card details or any other personal information should be protected by Secure Socket Layers (SSL certificates) which prevent fraudulent activities.
- Privacy of information – online operators should have a privacy policy up to industry standards which ensures that the personal data from players won’t be given away to third-party companies and will be used only for purposes within the operator’s platform.
Gambling Regulators and Auditing Companies
Since responsible gaming shouldn’t be a one-sided process, official legal bodies are needed for ensuring a safe and regulated environment for players. Depending on the location of the online operator and the scope of its operations, various regulators can licence a gambling website. However, that isn’t enough, and there are third-party companies that are auditing the games at gambling operators to ensure transparency and fairness for players. Below we’ve added some of the most famous and widespread regulators and gaming laboratories, so do check their specifics:
- UK Gambling Commission – As the main regulator in the United Kingdom, the UK Gambling Commission was set up under the Gambling Act 2005 as an official body that issues licences to online operators in the country. It also regulated the National Lottery. It also makes sure to provide a fair and open environment for players.
- Malta Gambling Authority – The Malta Gambling Authority is also another regulator that, similar to other official licencing bodies, makes sure to regulate online gambling operators transparently. Furthermore, some of the biggest gambling sites have licences from this institution, making its international presence quite broad.
- Gibraltar Gambling Commission – Another regulator you could frequently come across is the Gibraltar Gambling Commission. Issuing licences and regulating operators have become a niche market for the country, and it has a similar mission and core values, just like the other two regulators.
- еCOGRA – Founded back in 2003, eCOGRA is a London-based company specialising in testing online gambling software. Apart from that, it is the first laboratory to be granted with an ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 accreditation. It is also a pioneer in offering the first-ever self-regulation program to operators.
- ITechLabs – iTechLabs is a third-party company that has the main purpose of testing and certificating RNG games. The company’s scope of operations includes Asia, Europe and Australia, and some of the most renowned operators have chosen to be their clients.
- GLI – Founded back in 1989, the Gaming Laboratories International has been on a mission to offer world-class testing and has currently certified more than 1.5 million games. It is one of the most popular testing agencies you’ll come across.
Responsible Gaming is Crucial for the Gambling Industry
Customers matter the most, but by having in mind the specifics of the industry, their experience can be ruined if operators and regulators don’t unite in the fight against illegal gambling. That’s why there’s even a campaign in the form of the Problematic Gambling Awareness Month with the main goal being the constant improvement of responsible gambling. Generally speaking, safety and transparency should be assured on all levels. On the other hand, if non-profit organisations continue helping problematic gamblers, the industry will increase its influence by making players aware of all risks and informing them of their chances in an objective way. We hope that the future will bring more innovations in the world of responsible gambling so that everybody can either provide or experience the highest of quality in this huge industry!
FAQs About How to Play Responsibly
Although we’ve been quite extensive in our responsible gambling online post, the subject we were discussing is quite broad, and certain questions might have arisen. That’s why in the following section we’ve made sure to include those queries that are most popular and first come to mind. Make sure to check their corresponding answers below!
