A set of guidelines has been created and published by the Remote Gambling Association (RGA), a London-based trade group, to support regulators with multiple jurisdictions so they can design more efficient and effective technical standards when it comes to remote online gambling.
RGA presently works with some of the world’s largest online gaming operators including Paddy Power and William Hill and together they aim to ensure the highest standards in the industry. They aim to achieve this through developing stricter codes of conduct and they hope that through their new technical guidelines will “contribute to a higher degree of consistency” as many regulators try to address the issues.
A statement from the group said, “By producing these guidelines and highlighting what it believes to be regulatory best-practice based on the extensive first-hand experience of its members, the RGA is hopeful that they will play a constructive part in the ongoing discussions about these issues that are being held both nationally and internationally.”
The group has declared that these guidelines were designed to support the regulators in structuring better standards “within a wide regulatory framework” that will be using information society services, consumer experience and inherent market dynamics. They add that these standards apply to all platforms and methods of delivering remote gaming. These are also aimed to accommodate differences and different requirements for betting and gaming products and maintain the integrity and fairness of all remote products.
The guidelines were also designed to aid in creating standards that will ensure products for online gambling will be created fair, secure, regulated and auditable. The group offered assurances that the consumers of the industry that the industry, regulators and those involved in testing and approving products are highly committed to and are capable of ensuring fair and safe betting and gaming.
Clive Hawkswood, RGA CEO, said, “Ensuring that the technical standards are consistent, proportionate, practical and effective is central to that. If that can be achieved there would be obvious benefits for the industry but we would suggest that this must also be in the best interests of regulators, governments and consumers.”
Hawkswood clarified that these guidelines had nothing to do with self-regulation. He acknowledged that their industry is a common place for companies that have been licensed in multiple jurisdictions. Countries are licensing the same companies and products, so in most cases regulatory measures similar to the guidelines will be most likely to be adopted. Hawkswood, on behalf of his company, made an open invitation of a discussion on the application of the guidelines.
