What is responsible gambling in online casinos?

Thanks to technological advancements, you can now play online casino games anytime as long as you have a stable internet connection. Even if there are thousands of games to play, the casino sites always encourage you to observe responsible gambling at all times.

The history of online casino gaming dates back to the mid-90s. It was also when the internet was taking off commercially. The first online casino was developed by Microgaming in 1994. It is one of the biggest software developers in the gambling industry. 

From 1996 to 1997, there was a sudden surge in the number of online casino sites. Since then, the popularity of online gambling has been on an upward trajectory. With this, some sites have evolved into one of the biggest companies in the casino industry. 

Compared to the online casino games at Gamdom, the games back then were considered ‘crude’ for today’s standards but are efficient for the standards during the 1990s. The games were also not as regulated as today.

Aside from using traditional currencies to wager, you can now play at Bitcoin casino sites. To deposit and withdraw funds, you simply need to provide your crypto wallet address or scan the QR code. If Bitcoin is new to your ears, it is a decentralized digital currency used to purchase goods and services online. Since it is decentralized, any authority has no control of your transactions.

Even though casino gaming is one of the most popular pastime activities, it still has a negative connotation to it. Most of the time, gambling is deemed taboo to the point that online casino gaming is banned in some parts of the world. To balance it out and avoid gambling problems, responsible gambling is encouraged.

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Areas of responsible gambling 

Responsible gambling is described as part of the iGaming (or any allied trade) industry's social responsibility initiatives. This includes the gaming control boards and operators to ensure fairness and integrity of the site’s operations as well as to promote awareness of possible harms associated with betting such as gambling addiction.

It is also a broad concept of several policies and requirements that is applied to all gambling stakeholders to ensure and maintain the highest standards of quality.

There are different areas of responsible gambling. These are:

Gambling addiction

To completely promote awareness of gambling addiction, there are customer-imposed limits and self-exclusion programs offered. As a matter of fact, banks in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world allow players to block any gambling-related translations on their credit or debit cards. 

Here are some of the tools used to combat gambling addiction: 

• Time out - allows players to temporary set their account to a hiatus
• Reality check - reminds players to take a break or stop playing
• Time limits - sets strict time limits on playing sessions
• Deposit limits - to enforce deposit limits
• Permanent account closure - allows players to close their account and cut off all contacts from the gambling operator

Fraudulent and criminal behaviour

All casino gaming operators are required to implement anti-money laundering policies and procedures. Such procedures include using the so-called ‘know your customer’ process for newly registered players and tracking activities to flag down any suspicious transaction. 

Note: Know your customer or KYC is a guideline used in several financial services that are used to verify suitability, identity, and risks. 

Information privacy 

Information privacy is the process of protecting customer data and records against unauthorised third parties. The operators are also required to implement policies and prevent unauthorised disclosure and use of customer information. The customer information includes name, age, phone number, and email address.

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Fair gaming

Before the games are released to the public, it has to be tested to ensure a fair gaming environment. Most of the time, testing the fairness of the games is made by independent organisations like eCOGRA, a leading and internationally approved testing agency. 

Prompt and accurate customer payments

The casino operators need to make sure that the payments (inbound and outbound) must be processed according to formal and documented processes. Usually, the operators ensure that customer funds are managed separately from their own accounts. It is also to make sure that the players will receive their wins and other outstanding player balance.

Ethical and responsible marketing

Aside from a secure and fair gaming environment, casino operators should comply with all of the regulatory advertising codes of practice. The advertisements should be factually correct and do not encourage underage or vulnerable gamblers like those who have excluded themselves. 

Customer satisfaction

The players should not be restricted from making comments or complaining. In return, the operators should have an adequate procedure to deal with complaints. This is why the majority of casino sites have active customer service. It can be through an email customer support and live chat feature that is usually found at the bottom right or left of the page. 

Secure, safe, and reliable operating environment

The casino operators should demonstrate internal controls and processes to comply with the conditions posted by the regulatory jurisdiction. Internal controls should also be strictly implemented to make sure that all of the site’s features are operational. 

Underage gambling

The industry is taking extra steps to prevent those who are underaged from placing bets or even participating in any gambling activity. It was a key initiative with the efforts of the American Gaming Association (AGA) together with the comprehensive guideline for underage gambling developed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 

Why observe responsible gambling?

Observing responsible gambling should be observed at all times to prevent gambling problems that might result in placing bets recklessly. This is also to remind players that gambling should be a pastime activity and not a way to generate income. You should also not play crypto games seriously because one way or another, you will win and lose some.

Instead of stressing yourself to win the grand jackpot prize when playing slots and live casino games at Gamdom, it is best to take it slow and have a great time. 

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Words: Whenna Maata