“Safe and responsible gambling” is the UK gambling slogan and to make this approach more effective, several independent charities were released there. One of the renowned independent organisms to limit the risk of problem-related gambling is GamCare. This organisation has become more powerful in terms of minimizing the gambling problems in this sovereign state. Apart from educating and providing support to the gamblers, GamCare launched a new Safer Gambling Standard to evaluate if the gambling operators’ measures have been put in place. These initiatives aim to protect customers from gambling-related problems. How to apply and why this quality standard is so important to the gambling businesses?
What is Safer Gambling Standard?
The Safer Gambling Standard is an independent quality standard for the gambling operators to measure how they have applied policies to protect their customers from gambling problems. The operators are, then, required to meet 10 areas, and up to 73 criteria to implement a safer gambling policy. This approach is based on their best practice, promotion, advertising, and protection of the minors and vulnerable players. In the assessment process, the businesses will be evaluated on their procedures, policies, and controls.
Apart from that, there are also interviews with staff, website reviews, and premises visits. Once the assessment is completed, the operators receive a report confirming their outcomes and level of award. As this process is not easy enough, there are some non GamCare casinos available that have a good reputation, This level will be published on the gambling companies’ website allowing the customers to see their potency compared to other firms regarding the policy on applying responsible gambling. The Standard logo will also be permitted to be used by the operators.
The assessment procedure and the levels of award
The first process that the land-based and online operators have to follow is to ask if they are eligible. To be qualified, the firms must be licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission as well as offering gambling services to the public. The award is from Base Level of the Standard up to Advanced Level 3 depending on the policy’s degree to responsible gambling the operators have applied. The accreditation’s validation is two years and the group of experts reviews the Standard’s provisions on an annual basis. As previously mentioned, the firms must meet 10 areas and more than 73 criteria which are based on technical, physical, and cultural systems packed with effective management and leadership.
Why is the Safer Gambling Standard crucial to gambling operators?
Despite the increase in pathological and problem gamblers, GamCare understands that several gambling operators are responsible to continually enhance their policies to reduce gambling-related harms. That is the reason why GamCare supports these businesses through this Safer Gambling Standard. As a matter of fact, the Standard is dedicated to the physical and online gambling businesses that have an approach to promote more responsible gambling and understand the importance of self-exclusion such as Gamstop. Moreover, GamCare’s experts will go through a meeting with the applicants to understand the scale of their business as well as providing convenient policies to the accreditation.
Aside from that, more and more gambling companies realize that promoting safer gambling can prevent their customers from gambling problems. Thus, the Standard is a sign that the operators are involved in protecting their customers. Today, several companies have already achieved the Safer Gambling Standard improving their reputation as responsible gambling operators.
About GamCare
GamCare is an independent charity released in 1997 that has the goal to minimize the gambling problems in the UK. This organisation runs the National Gambling Helpline which is a service to support and help the gamblers who need assistance and advice. GamCare has implemented policies and strategies to help people who are experiencing gambling harms. This approach, actually, comes with three main responsibilities such as supporting problem gamblers, working with the gambling operators, and providing prevention and public education.
On the first duty, not only do the addicted gamblers take advantage of the different support and treatment but also their partners, families, and friends. The assistance can be reachable via telephone or online. Furthermore, GamCare’s second duty is to partner with UK-based gambling companies. As stated above, this agency rewards a certificate to the merited operators called Safer Gambling Standard. The last responsibility is the education programme to raise public awareness about the problems caused by excessive gambling. This sensitization is packed with an effective system that targets people of all ages including the teenager.
Please play responsibly. For more information and advice visit www.begambleaware.org
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