GamCare, eCOGRA and the Remote Gambling Association (RGA) have launched a new international responsible gambling code at the online gambling industry’s EIG Conference in Barcelona. The code of conduct has been constructed to protect players and promote responsible gambling by introducing minimum standards throughout the online gambling industry.
It covers 30 key points which include underage gambling, customer communication, staff training, advertising and promotions as well as player protection measures.
The code is the result of an informal industry meeting hosted by Microgaming and attended by many leading industry figures earlier this year. Despite the fact that there are already jurisdictions relating to standards in the industry, GamCare, eCOGRA and the RGA are hoping their code will be adopted worldwide as the uniform minimum standards for operators and players.
The code took several months to complete and is very much based upon the RGA’s social responsibility code. In a following meeting in September the code was formally agreed by GamCare, eCOGRA and RGA.
Now it has been launched at one of the online gambling industry’s biggest international meetings and the timing of the launch has also coincided with the launch of the UK Gambling Commission’s white list, which has been designed to protect British players in terms of advertising.
Andrew Poole, Managing Director of GamCare Trading Services speaking about the code said, “GamCare hopes that the adoption of this code will better enable the gambling public to make informed decisions with regards to their remote gambling participation, secure in the knowledge that operators are required by condition of license to protect the welfare and enjoyment of their customers.”
Whilst the CEO of eCOGRA, Andrew Beveridge said, “eCOGRA certified sites have been required to comply with similar standards for the past few years and by continually verifying their compliance, we know that these standards are effective when it comes to protecting the players.”
The Chief Executive of the Remote Gambling Association (RGA) also added, “The promotion of responsible gambling and the adoption of appropriate safeguards are fundamental to the long term success of the online gambling industry. As the industry develops it will inevitably come to be regulated in more jurisdictions. In those places and others where regulation is already being developed I would commend this code to them. It is based on the best industry experience and practice and, more importantly, the expertise of GamCare.”