Responsible Gambling 101
Gambling is one of the popular forms of entertainment. With new gambling sites coming up, letting you play your favorite casino games online such as Poker, Baccarat (바카라), and Blackjack. It is getting even easier to get access to casino games on a regular basis.
However, gambling isn’t always just fun and games. There have been quite a few examples showing just how detrimental it could turn out to be for health, finances, and family if it goes out of hand. Increasingly, there has been a voice amongst the gambling community to look at it as a hobby and not as an activity that promises monetary returns.
The crusade for safe gambling practices has been ongoing, and there are always new aspects added to it. Another one of these aspects is responsible for gambling regulation.
What is responsible for gambling?
Responsible gambling is a broad concept encompassing policies and requirements that concern stakeholders in the gambling industry. These policies bind the stakeholders together to abide and respect the highest standard of quality in gaming. This is done to ensure a smooth and safe online gambling experience for the players, so they do not face the negative consequences of online gambling.
There are a few responsible gaming elements that every software provider and online operator needs to consider. Let’s see what they comprise.
Protection of vulnerable gamblers
Responsible gambling concerns itself most with vulnerable players that may find gambling a bit too addictive.
So, people who are vulnerable to such situations or addictions are usually at the center of these policies. A gambling company can impose a lot of regulations within the purview of this program —the most popular being restrictions on money and time. There are self-exclusion plans along with individual regulations undertaken by the country governments for the same issue.
For example, in the UK, a reality check facility ensures that the players can arrange for a frequency that notifies them about the time elapsed since their session started. There are also other tools available such as having a limit on the cash deposit of a gambling account.
Prevention of underage gambling
Protection of minors and the practice of underage gaming is at the heart of responsible gambling. It is imperative that online gambling websites ensure that no underage gambler indulges in gambling for real money.
It is strictly advised that proper checks and documents be submitted while making an account with an online casino in India. Proper checks should be conducted before the player is allowed to bet for money.
However, apart from observing law to prevent underage gambling by casino operators, it is important for parents to be vigilant as well.
Information privacy
The internet can be a dangerous place. It is the duty of an online casino provider to ensure that sensitive user information does not fall in the hands of miscreants conducting illegal activities online. Protecting the privacy and data of players is a vital component of responsible gambling.
Responsible gambling advises keeping strict policies and layers of security in place to protect information like bank details, contact information, address, etc. You should check an online casino’s safety guidelines and the steps they undertake to protect you from any information leak. This is an important check to conduct before associating yourself with a casino.
Ethical and responsible marketing
It is expected that operators comply with the rightful practices of advertising their gambling businesses. The advertisements should not be targeting any vulnerable players or those who have self-excluded themselves from gambling.
Secondly, online gambling websites have a lot of private-personal data of the players, and they cannot use it for advertising. They are only allowed to use specific player data after seeking permission from the player concerned.
Safety measures against criminal activities
Cyber security is a major concern these days. It is important that online gambling operators take every step to ensure that players are protected from cyber frauds on their gambling websites.
Hackers usually deploy some malicious software or virus to obtain data and access to funds. So, every online operator has to ensure that enough protection software and procedures are in place to prevent any mishap.
Gambling companies can stay responsible
Any gambling company becomes directly responsible for all the activities taking place on its platforms. It is essential that safe and responsible gambling practices are undertaken by platform providers, software operators, and players.
Platform providers may not even be directly in contact with players. However, they still are under moral and judicial obligation to offer tools for:
- Setting limits and self-exclusion tools to prevent addiction
- Software monitoring capabilities
- Checks for underage gambling by verifying documents
- Security tools to ensure data privacy
Every party in the gambling industry contributes to making this industry a safer and better place for true gambling enthusiasts. The guidelines and policies described under Responsible gambling do not hold true just for online casinos, but every part of the gambling chain. This is because all parties benefit from a safer and more welcoming online gambling environment.