Responsible Gambling
Responsible gaming is a broad concept which comprises several policies and requirements that apply to gambling stakeholders to make sure they respect the highest standards of quality, and offers a safe user experience that protects people from the potential negative consequences of online gambling.
Gambling should be treated as a fun pastime, and not as a mean to generate income. Whilst the majority of the population can treat gambling as recreation and spend only what they can afford to risk, for some it can be more difficult.
Let’s take a fast look over the main responsible gaming elements that all software providers and online operators need to consider:
- Prevention of underage gambling - the prevention of underage gaming is one of the most important aspects of responsible gambling and it needs to be emphasized that individuals that have not reached the legal age (18 or 21) must not be allowed to gamble for real-money.Online operators in turn must take all the necessary steps to make sure that underage gambling activities do not take place on their websites and that the laws protecting minors in their targeted jurisdictions are respected.
- Protection of vulnerable gamblers - one of the most important areas of Responsible Gambling is concerned with the protection of vulnerable players. Some players may become addicted to casino games or sports betting activities and by spending too much money their normal lives are soon affected.Among the main measures that can be imposed by most regulators in the industry, we can mention self-exclusion programs, limits on the amount of money and time players can spend on a gaming website.
- Safety measures against criminal activities - Gambling websites can be affected by online criminals’ activities just like any other sites dealing with e-commerce or financial transactions. To accomplish their goals and obtain private and financial data, online criminals deploy malicious software that targets websites’ vulnerabilities.To stop this growing tendency, operators are requested to insert procedures and software programs that detect and block money laundering activities and hacking devices.
- Information privacy - How can online operators protect their customers’ private details from prying eyes? This area is connected to the need of keeping safe players’ private details from unauthorized access that may occur due to illegal online criminal attacks.How can online operators protect their customers’ private details from prying eyes? This area is connected to the need of keeping safe players’ private details from unauthorized access that may occur due to illegal online criminal attacks.
- Creation of a secure online environment - One of the most important principles of safe gambling imposes operators to create a series of controls and mechanisms that creates the framework of a secure online environment.To this end, operators need to make sure their websites are safe locations where players can have fun in a safe gambling environment and all payments and technical processes develop in a secure fashion.
- Online payment protection - Operators that offer betting options for sports events and casino games need to make sure that players need to access a reliable software platform that can protect their personal data and financial details. This is an important reason why operators must give a major attention to choosing the most appropriate gaming solution for their purposes for players to safely deposit, transfer and withdraw money on a gambling website.
The decision to make gambling responsible and to create a secure environment for players is a common enterprise for platform providers, online operators and regulators.