Tracy Parker, Director, Standards and Accreditation for the Responsible Gambling Council, explains why the RG Check accreditation provides assurances that your responsible gambling processes are up to date and effective.
If you ask leaders in the gambling industry what makes their job exciting, you’ll hear the same answer – it’s constantly changing. As leaders in responsible gambling, we also know it’s imperative that consumer safeguards are as innovative as the developments in gaming technology. Player protections need to evolve and remain at the core of the business if an operator wants to deliver a safe and sustainable experience for their players and their business.
Third-party accreditation is a tool used by many operators and regulators to ensure that their RG program has kept up with the pace of change and is being managed at the highest level.
Recognized as a global leader and the gold standard of accreditation, RG Check is backed by research and best practices. Responsible gambling components are rigorously assessed against a comprehensive set of standards to produce recommendations for continuous improvement.
RG Check is collaborative and works with many different business units throughout an organization to help operators and regulators effectively evaluate, monitor and manage their RG programs. The RG Check symbol is a signal to all stakeholders that an operator is committed and transparent about how it maintains integrity, protects players and minimizes gambling harm.
ELEVATING THE GOLD STANDARD
To keep pace with the industry – the innovations, emerging best practices and increased gambling platforms – RG Check underwent a rigorous review in 2020, including the integration of online sports betting and lottery. Now iGaming operators and regulators can assess the effectiveness of their responsible gambling policies and practices for this unique player base.
RG Check’s original land-based accreditation still maintains its comprehensive and in-depth assessment, with updates in key areas of player experience, gambling harms and transparency. These improvements allow for an increasingly meaningful process that keeps pace with an ever-evolving industry.
SOLUTIONS-DRIVEN
When the needs of a diverse spectrum of play and players is considered, programming for harm reduction and problem gambling prevention is more innovative, impactful and effective. Identifying the specific type of player you want to reach will ensure that messaging resonates with players in ways that increase awareness and knowledge that actually leads to changes in player behaviors. This results in safer play and less player risk. Tourists represent a unique player profile, one that makes responsible gambling education a challenge since the relationship and opportunity to communicate is brief.
Jurisdictions where gambling options are contained within a small geographic area with a strong tourist player base – such as Macau and Singapore – often share a similar pain point: How can responsible gambling messaging be effective in this unique setting? Informed decision making is an RG Check standard area that provides guidance on how to integrate and disseminate player information in a comprehensive way that promotes and encourages safer play across all high traffic touchpoints. Having materials available in a variety of different languages also reinforces an operator’s commitment to a diverse player base.
Ensuring that frontline employees are trained to understand the importance of responsible gambling and how their roles impact player protection can go a long way to assist players, both local and visiting, who could be experiencing harm from gambling. The Employee Training standard area of RG Check looks at all facets of training from corporate value alignment through to training policies, content, execution and evaluation. These criteria provide operators with recommendations to enhance their employee education programs so they are better able to navigate all types of players.
Operators and regulators need to be proactive and innovative in all aspects of the player experience, especially as travel resumes and the world returns to land-based gambling, and online offerings such as sports betting continue to expand. Operators that have the most effective RG programs that provide the education required to prevent and mitigate gambling harm among a diverse player base will have the advantage.
