10 pledge action plan announced

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), the new standards body for betting and gaming covering betting shops, online betting and gaming operators and casinos, today announced a new 10-commitment action plan agreed with its regulated member companies.

The 10 commitments build on the actions and interventions BGC members have taken as part of safer gambling operations, but BGC will now step up its monitoring and call for new actions to adapt to the situation and address the unprecedented circumstances of social distancing and working from home. While overall gambling has fallen dramatically due to the absence of sports and the closure of betting shops and casinos, BGC's commitments will be implemented immediately to ensure the best safeguards are in place and measures are taken to protect online bettors who may be more vulnerable as a result of the crisis.

This week, BGC supported the Gambling Commission's call for increased consumer protection and responsible marketing. The new commitments demonstrate BGC's determination to ensure the highest standards are applied and cover the following areas:

1. Increase safer gambling messaging on all sites to reach all customers.
2. Increased interventions if customers increase their time or spending beyond normal pre-crisis norms.
3. Actively promoting deposit limits.
4. Taking steps to ensure appropriate and responsible advertising, including tracking transaction volumes.
5. Reporting all illegal and dishonest advertising by online black market operators.
6. A one-hit-out policy for affiliates who breach their commitments.
7. Support for guidance on self-exclusion to GAMCARE, the National Gambling Helpline and GamStop.
8. Commitment to securing funding for Research, Education and Treatment (RET).
9. Checks and support for employee welfare.
10. Supporting the government's "national effort" with volunteers and facilities.

BGC CEO Michael Dugger said of the 10 commitments:

"During this time of national crisis, when many people are isolating and distancing at home, it is vital that we take all steps to ensure safer gambling and protect those who are potentially vulnerable or at risk.

"We all know that gambling levels have collapsed, not only due to the closure of betting shops and casinos, but also due to the absence of sports betting, which is also the basis of online betting. During the Covid crisis, gambling levels have fallen, but our commitment to safer gambling has strengthened. In these difficult times, it is important that we support our customers to take control of their gambling safely. That is why BGC members have developed a 10-point action plan to lead our members through this crisis.

"Strengthening safer gambling measures through increased monitoring and customer intervention, strengthening safer gambling messaging, and taking measures such as promoting deposit limits, along with cracking down on affiliates and calling out unscrupulous black market operators, will make a big difference. We also pledge to focus on expert support and provide funding for research, education and treatment (RET).

"The betting industry supports tens of thousands of jobs at home and abroad, and we are equally committed to supporting the government's national effort by supporting volunteers and facilities."

BGC Members' Promises

Promises #1: Members will increase safer gambling messaging across all websites, apps and channels, including inbound messaging to all existing and new customers reminding them to use safer gambling tools.

Messaging is an important way to encourage customers to take action to control their gambling. Actions include using tools that provide customers with an important way to set limits and increase their awareness of gambling. The importance of tools in the customer journey must be emphasized during this time.

Operators provide hundreds of thousands of safer gambling messages throughout the year, from account opening to play. These messages encourage safe play, including setting deposit limits and taking a betting break. Members are reinforcing messaging, including direct reminders to customers to set deposit limits. We expect to see an increase in the volume and variety of messages compared to other communications. We are discussing changes to safer gambling messaging with operators as part of our data collection review. Safer gambling messaging is also displayed on the home page of each site.

Promise Part 2: Members will understand that customers must comply with social distance measures and strengthen monitoring and data collection. If there is a change in the customer play pattern, such as increased time and expenditure beyond the normal pattern before the crisis, it shows the potential indicator of harm, and the operator should strengthen intervening.

The overall gambling is decreasing because sports events were not held in the UK, but it is necessary to adjust the internal monitoring and customer protection system as needed to ensure the changes in customer behavior. 。

As part of the continuous initiatives to increase the safer gambling, we collect data on advertising, game patterns, behavioral response to messages, and other measurements (such as suspension during play). At present, the algorithm that monitors play can be adjusted to detect a deviation from a typical pattern. This takes into account elements, play time, game time, and products. The interference threshold varies, but it is displayed through the entire customer journey. Thus, the default gambling pattern is considered by these systems and allows the operator to be early. Metrics needs a lot of variables, so there is no distributed pattern, but the operator focuses on the total expenditure. Increased expenditure levels are triggered by intervention, from messaging to forced deposits and closing accounts, in response to the increased risk level associated with failure indicators.

In addition, at the request of the Gambling Committee, additional customers and account information to support the industry will be provided.

Promise Part 3: Members who operate with the monitoring will actively promote payment restrictions and send a payment restriction message with links to the tool to players who show an unusual play pattern indicating a problem.

The current crisis can lead to changes in consumer behavioral patterns, especially online. If customers are aware that they are increasing their play beyond normal routines, companies confirm that this is an appropriate response to confirm the health of the customer, and in the appropriate cases. It should be confirmed that there is a deposit limit or a forced limit message.

Payment restrictions cannot be lifted without customer requirements, operators intervention, or / or drawer period.

Commitment #4: Members will directly and continuously review their marketing and advertising (volume, content, targeting) and act appropriately and accountably, taking into account increased risks.

Members will ensure that gambling is not portrayed as an appropriate or even desirable response to people experiencing boredom or frustration during self-isolation.

Phone, text and email contacts should not be increased above normal standards during this period, except for messages to promote safer gambling.

The industry is acutely aware of the risks arising from new work and leisure patterns that may be caused by the current lockdown. The industry is therefore determined to ensure that its marketing and advertising is appropriate and sensitive to these potential risks.

We have recently announced a number of measures targeting advertising, including testing mission technology, creating an industry-wide list to crack down on advertising on certain topics, and a 25+ age feature on social media platforms.

Our members are stepping up safer messaging, interventions and initiatives across the board to ensure all customers who bet online can bet safely. We are also working with our members to consider ways to make safer gambling messaging more prominent in all advertising across all channels.

Commitment #5: Members will report cases of illegal and unscrupulous advertising to BGC and BGC will report them to the regulator.

Illegal offers and advertisements can be found on the web and are unethical in their attempt to exploit customers' vulnerabilities. BGC members should report such advertisements to the regulator or BGC and BGC will report them to the regulator. This is part of an overall effort to weed out irresponsible and accessible advertising to UK citizens.

We have recently reported inappropriate advertisements by illegal betting operators and affiliate advertising promotions making false claims about place of residence. BGC aims to play its role in supporting all actions against illegal and unscrupulous advertising.

Commitment #6: These commitments apply in full to all affiliates. Members will implement strict policies in the event of any breach of these commitments.

Subsidiaries play an important role in delivering messages and responsible advertisements to customers. In other words, affiliates should not refer to or use words related to COVID-19, such as' 'boring' '' ',' 'isolation' ',' '' at home. BGC collects keywords and phrases, provides members, affiliates, and social media platforms to prevent them.

This commitment covers inappropriate Covid 1 9-related ads that exceed the restrictions on regulations.

BGC is also creating affiliate code that covers the content responsibility, deeper screening of affiliate advertisements, and affiliate incentives.

Promise Part 7: Members, especially if the problems related to anxiety and isolation are revealed from monitoring systems and interactions with customers, in a more secure gambling message, GAMCARE advice and 2 4-hour call free nationwide helplines, Register with Gamstop for sel f-exclusion.

The industry offers a more secure gambling message to all customers. At this time, it is necessary to deal with the issues that arise directly from the current crisis. For this reason, the members incorporate additional customer information that requires intervention as part of the corporate responsibility.

BGC also emphasizes the national gambling helpline as part of a more secure gambling message. The BGC is in consultation with the charity group so that the normal call patterns provide data that can change, so that the concerns are identified and can be dealt with in real time.

We fully support all the online operators in the UK to be registered in Gamstop, and the businesses that refuse to be a guimbling committee should be subject to immediate license review. I'm thinking. We are pleased that the Gambling Committee has recently taken measures against vendors who refuse to register with Gamstop. All BGC members have made recent changes to Gamstop requirements (after April 1), which further enhanced the player's sel f-exclusion.

Promise Part 8: Members redefine the maintenance flow of important funds for research, education, and treatment (Ret).

There are many companies and people who rely on our members, but many may not have a resilience to survive this crisis. This is even more important for charity and organizations that provide important research, education, and treatment services that customers must continue to be available.

We commit hard to increase funds for research, education, and treatment (RET), despite our members being exposed to severe financial pressure in the COVID-19 crisis. You can guarantee that you are. Although these contributions are optional, they are committed to increasing RET contributions over the long term. Last year, the largest operator promised to raise RET from 0. 1 % of GGY to 1 % in accordance with the gambling committee guidance.

The most important thing for us is to use this support as soon as possible. As a result, our major members have already called for this commitment to organizations that have already been approved by regulatory authorities and can quickly increase their existing research, education and treatment. 。

More secure gambling education has invested more than £ 10 million, and the BetRegret's enlightenment campaign has been invested more than £ 3. 8 million.

Oath 9: In this crisis situation, the member performs the welfare check of employees.

Our employees are also affected by the same difficulties and mental risks as other employees. Companies should secure a mechanism to perform regular welfare checks for employees, and to fulfill their duty to ensure employee safety and happiness.

Promise Part 10: The union members encourage staff to volunteer in social service and provide facilities that can be used by people who support COVID-19, as much as possible, to the government's government. You should fully play the role of supporting your initiatives.

It is possible for many employees in the main street that operates a larg e-scale retail industry, for elderly people, customers living alone, or customers who cannot sufficient sel f-support in the middle of this crisis. It is encouraged by employees to cooperate as much as possible. NHS also has a volunteer service, encouraging the staff to participate as volunteers. License conditions, implementation norms (LCCP), 22 new safe gaps promises set by BGC last year, and unique safe gap business.