Archive Policy | Remote Gambling Association

Archive Policy Summary - Remote Gambling Association

The Remote Gambling Association (RGA) is the largest online gambling trade association in the world, helping to ensure that 'responsible gambling' remains a key focus for the regulated international online gambling industry.

All RGA members are licensed in Europe. Form September 2014 all those taking business from the UK have been licensed by the British Gambling Commission. Key initiatives we have been involved with in the field of responsible gambling include:

CEN Workshop Agreement

The RGA was one of the founding supporters of the CEN (The European Committee for Standardisation) Workshop Agreement on Responsible Remote Gambling Measures (CWA 16259: 2011). They are the first European consumer protection measures for online gambling in the EU.

Prevention of underage gambling

All online gambling is account based and the age verification procedures make it almost impossible for anyone under 18 to gamble. The systems is place are frequently referred to in Parliament as elsewhere as the standard for other adult-only products to aspire to.

Prevention of problem gambling

RGA members are major donors to GambleAware and proactively seek new and better ways to minimise gambling related harm. The RGA advocates the introduction of a statutory levy to ensure the proper funding and independent oversight of research, education and treatment associated with gambling-related harm.

National online self-exclusion system

The National Online Self Exclusion Scheme Limited, trading as GAMSTOP, is a not for profit organisation set up by the RGA that allows consumers, resident within the UK, to visit a single website and apply a self-exclusion which will block them for gambling across all British licensed online gambling operators.

The period available to them are for a minimum fo 6 months; one year; or five years. During the selected minimum duration period, the consumer will not be abet to remove their self-exclusion. Once the minimum duration period has elapsed the self-exclusion will remain in force until the consumer has returned to GAMSTOP to ask fro it to be removed and gone through the relevant process.

Advertising

As with all e-commerce businesses, advertising plays a crucial role in the online gambling industry. It is vitally important that such advertising is conducted in a socially responsible manner. Therefore, in addition to the regulation of the Gambling Commission and the Advertising Standards Authority, the RGA was closely involved in the development of the first Industry Code fo Conduct for Socially Responsible Advertising in 2007 and has been very active in the review process which has seen enhanced Codes come into effect in both 2016 and 2018.

Gambling Helplines
GB 0808 8020 133
IRL 1800 936 725
NI 08000 886 725