As one of the most discussed issues in online gambling today, responsible gaming is being used as a shield to postpone the legalization of the activity in specific countries. Representatives of the online gaming industry claim these issues are being managed by the casinos. Recently, the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) released a report discussing the self-regulation practices that will be implemented in the future.
The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) will soon be publishing the report. John Ketchell, the Innovation Director at CEN, confirms the implemented measures will protect the customer while ensuring fair practices among online casinos. Basically they will provide a fair standard that all countries in the European Union can follow. The primary focus of the practices includes:
- Underage gaming prevention
- Catering to customer support
- Providing safe and reliable information technology environments
- Protection of unaware customers
- Protection of customer privacy
- Ethical and responsible marketing
- Zero tolerance for fraud
The process of developing these new standards is time consuming. CEN began the “Responsible Remote Gambling Measures” in May 2010 with 25 participants from the industry. From these members, over 600 suggestions were made and then added to a draft which was made public. Between July and September 2010, comments regarding the draft were accepted and encouraged.
CEN has finally approved the final draft which is scheduled to be published in March 2011. This is only the preliminary step as those in the CEN community are prepared to take further action. The ultimate goal is to eventually develop a full European standard.
click here to see most Popular PagesAlso slated to be published in the near future is the British Gambling Prevalence Survey (BGPS). This is a statistical study regarding British gambling behavior which includes problem gaming. The study was created to aid in policy-making based on gambling-related data. The first report was released in 2000 and the second in 2007 by the National Centre for Social Research.
Depending on the information in this report, it could change the way European countries and the rest of the world view online gambling. If a feasible standard has been in fact proposed, there is a chance for European standardization. The rest of the world may soon develop a similar standard based on the European version. Perhaps the information will be pro-gaming and United States legislators will push toward legalization based on this report.
