How can casino affiliates help to promote responsible gambling?

The Gambling Act white paper is due to be released any time now, with the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) taking steps to make gambling safer for everyone, particularly those most at risk. And this is something that casino affiliates need to be acutely aware of, and promote responsible gambling.

New industry regulations are being introduced, and it’s essential that affiliates abide by all the requirements, since they’re often the first port of call for players when deciding where to gamble. That means ensuring all marketing material is age appropriate, with 18+ labels prominently displayed to deter minors. Cute cartoon characters and anything considered particularly appealing to a younger age group must also be avoided, such as fairy tale characters, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.

But the responsibilities don’t end there. It’s essential that affiliate marketers also highlight important information, including notices to ‘please gamble responsibly’. There should be clearly highlighted links to sources of help and advice too, such as BeGambleAware, which offers a variety of resources and tools to help people take control of their gambling.

Unfair wagering requirements for bonuses

Another important role that casino affiliates can fulfil is to highlight wagering requirements attached to bonuses and promotional offers. Often buried deep within an offer’s terms and conditions, these can require players to play through their bonus multiple times – even up to 50x in some cases!

Excessive wagering requirements encourage players to keep gambling, and this can lead to them getting carried away trying to meet these requirements, and ending up spending more than they intended. To counter this, some casinos are making it easier to withdraw bonus winnings by doing away with wagering requirements completely. And sites such as NoWagering.com make it much easier to track them down, highlighting the offers that could help players to enjoy gambling in a safer way.

But it’s not just unfair wagering requirements that casino affiliates need to be aware of. They also have an obligation to inform players about deposit and withdrawal limits, explain terms and conditions and to keep all promotions and bonus offers up to date. Reviews also need to be completely honest, so that players can trust what they’re being told – so no exaggerated claims about the likelihood of winning a game, or skipping over important details!

Safer gambling information

All reputable casino affiliates include a ‘responsible gambling’ link, and even direct players to sources of help, such as GamCare. But does this go far enough? Some affiliates have decided to create special sections in their websites, dedicated specifically to safer gambling. These sections come packed with useful content, including warning signs to look out for, along with advice about using safer gambling tools.

But it’s not just the players who need to be kept informed. People working for affiliate companies need to be made fully aware of safer gambling initiatives, with specific training to keep them up to speed with all the latest regulations and compliance issues.

Striking the right balance

The whole point about gambling is that it’s fun and entertaining for the majority of players, but vulnerable people and minors need to be kept safe from the risks of gambling harm. That requires open conversations about how best to ensure that relevant and timely information is made available.

The goal is to make such information highly visible and accessible for anyone who needs it, without impacting on the average player who simply wants to indulge in a favourite pastime. It’s a delicate balancing act, but one that reputable casino affiliates are extremely keen to address. The conversations are ongoing, but at least the subject is finally out in the open!