Compliance Updates
BGC Strengthens Ads Rules to Further Protect Under 18s
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has unveiled new measures to further prevent under-18s from seeing digital media adverts.
The standards body, which represents the UK regulated betting industry, has announced changes that will be published in the Seventh Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising (IGRG code).
As well as raising advertising standards for young people, the new code will extend the current commitment, which ensures 20% of TV and radio advertising is devoted to safer gambling messaging, to digital media advertising too.
BGC members have already taken major steps to ensure only those legally allowed to bet see online marketing for regulated betting and gaming products.
Previous rules ensured all sponsored or paid for social media adverts must be targeted at consumers aged 25 and over unless the website can prove its adverts can be precisely targeted at over 18s.
Under the new guidelines, the 25+ rule will be extended to all digital media platforms who provide an appropriate age filter.
The new code, which will come into force on 1 December 2023, is the latest example of the BGC’s determination to drive up standards within the betting and gaming industry.
Other measures already introduced include the whistle to whistle ban on TV gambling adverts, cooling off periods on gaming machines, encouraging deposit limits, new ID and age verification checks and massively increasing funding for research, education and treatment.
A BGC code of conduct was also introduced placing a ban on football clubs using their social media accounts – which are popular with youngsters – posting direct marketing on betting odds and sites.
BGC members have also led on a push with social media platforms to allow the public to opt-out from receiving betting and gaming advertising online. BGC Chief Executive Michael Dugher wrote to DCMS earlier this year, urging the Department to put pressure on social media platforms to do more.
DCMS Minister Stuart Andrew MP has since confirmed he will convene a meeting to help drive change.
BGC members take a zero-tolerance approach to betting by children. According to the Gambling Commission’s “Young People and Gambling Report” (2022) the most popular forms of betting by children are arcade games like penny pusher and claw grab machines (22%) bets between friends (15%), playing cards for money (5%) and fruit machines (3%) – not with BGC members.
Michael Dugher, chief executive of the BGC, said: “As the standards body for the regulated sector, we are committed to continuing to drive up standards and make big changes across the betting and gaming industry. Helping protect young people is our number one priority.
“BGC Members have already taken significant steps to ensure adverts by our members only reach the right audiences. With more help from the platforms, we can do even more.
“Safer gambling messaging is also absolutely crucial. It is about ensuring that customers use safer gambling tools like setting deposits limits and time outs, but also it is about the vitally important work of signposting the help that is out there to help the minority of gamblers who might be struggling with their betting and gaming.
“The new edition of the IGRG Code is further evidence of our determination to continue to ensure that standards are rising and are as high as they can possibly be.”
BGC worked alongside Bacta, Bingo Association and the Lotteries Council to formulate these new rules and ensure it was a cross industry effort.
Around 22.5 million UK adults enjoy a bet each month. The regulated betting and gaming industry in the UK contributes £7.1bn to the economy in GVA and generates £4.2bn in taxes which fund essential public services, the industry also supports 110,000 jobs across the country.
Participation in gambling by children (11-16 years) has fallen significantly since 2011 – from 23% of children participating in some form of gambling on a past-week basis to 7% in 2022 (GC Young People and Gambling Report 2022).
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has fined the Werribee RSL $30,000 for failing to prevent 2 self-excluded customers from gambling.
VGCCC CEO Suzy Neilan said: “This is the first time the VGCCC has taken disciplinary action against a club or hotel for self-exclusion breaches.
“Self-exclusion programs empower people to manage their gambling by registering to be temporarily or permanently blocked from entering gambling areas of clubs, pubs and casinos.
“By failing to respect a person’s decision to self-exclude, a venue may put customers who have decided to take a break from gambling, or quit altogether, at risk of experiencing gambling harm.”
In January 2024, the VGCCC received an anonymous tip-off that a self-excluded person entered the Werribee RSL gaming room and used the poker machines. The venue self-reported a second breach in May 2024, after realising a different customer had gambled at the venue on at least 4 occasions between February and May 2024.
Ms Neilan said: “Taking disciplinary action is the last resort. We would prefer venues take their harm minimisation responsibilities seriously by complying with their legal obligations, including through the effective implementation of tools like self-exclusion.
“Venues and their staff are the last line of defence for self-excluded customers, who should be able to trust that their decision to self-exclude will be respected. They must have the appropriate controls in place to prevent self-excluded people from entering gaming rooms.”
The VGCCC acknowledged that Werribee RSL cooperated with the investigations and has since taken steps to strengthen its procedures. These include improved and regular staff training, daily audits of the self-exclusion register and greater use of technology to identify self-excluded customers who attempt to enter the gaming room.
This remedial action was taken into consideration in determining the amount of the fine.
The post VGCCC Fines Werribee RSL for Self-exclusion Failures appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Konami Gaming Inc. announced successful completion of Gaming-related Vendor Licensing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a key emerging market for commercial gaming. Konami Gaming is among the first in the industry to be awarded a Gaming-Related Vendor License by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), an independent entity of the UAE Federal Government with exclusive jurisdiction to regulate, license, and supervise all UAE commercial gaming activities. A leading global provider of casino games and casino management systems, Konami has been awarded official license to serve the UAE’s developing gaming market with its award-winning products and services.
“Since Konami Gaming’s inception, our global growth has been achieved with an unwavering commitment to compliance. As the United Arab Emirates expands its economy to the regulated commercial gaming space, Konami is dedicated to supporting this market with the same integrity, innovation, and excellence we bring to all 431 gaming jurisdictions we serve worldwide,” said Tom Jingoli, president & chief operating officer at Konami Gaming.
For a quarter century, casino players have enjoyed Konami Gaming’s slot machines for the Class III gaming space, in which game outcomes are determined by random number generators (RNG). The company has since expanded its world-famous casino entertainment to online gaming and a variety of central determination market sectors. Additionally, Konami Gaming has spent over 20 years delivering its industry-leading SYNKROS casino management system to some of the largest and most diverse gaming destinations on earth, with ultra-reliable 99.99% uptime.
The post Konami Gaming Awarded Gaming-related Vendor License in the UAE appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued ReadyBet with a remedial direction after the company marketed to customers who had registered with BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register (NSER).
An ACMA investigation found ReadyBet sent 273 texts and push notifications from its mobile app to self-excluded individuals.
Separately, the company also failed to promote the NSER in 2342 push notifications despite it being mandatory to promote BetStop in any marketing electronic messages.
The ACMA issued the remedial direction so that ReadyBet takes action to prevent it breaching the rules in the future.
Under the remedial direction, ReadyBet must commission an independent review of its marketing systems, including its use of third-party suppliers.
ReadyBet must also engage a provider to deliver training to its staff to avoid messages being sent to self-excluded individuals.
The ACMA may seek civil penalties if ReadyBet does not comply with the remedial direction.
The post ACMA: ReadyBet Breaches Gambling Self-exclusion Rules appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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