UK: top gambling affiliates create new trade association

The new UK industry trade association ‘Responsible Affiliates in Gambling' (RAIG) was launched Monday, as part of wider industry initiatives plans to 'promote the socially responsible marketing of gambling products'.

In its founding press release, its members recognized the role that affiliate marketing providers must play as part of wider industry initiatives in the UK to promote social responsibility and a safer gambling environment for consumers.

The association will initially comprise three major players in the UK gambling affiliate sector, the Racing Post, Oddschecker and Better Collective. The purpose of the association is to promote social responsibility within the affiliate marketing sector to create a safer environment for online users, with the hope that the association will grow, and other like-minded companies will join in due course.

As a condition of membership, each member will be subject to an annual social responsibility audit which will be conducted by Gambling Integrity, a team of experts in all aspects of gambling compliance, in particular, player protection, anti-money laundering and financial crime. This audit is designed to ensure compliance with a range of existing statutory and non-statutory regulation as well as any additional measures which might be adopted over time. These will include:

• The UK Code of non-broadcast Advertising and Direct and Promotional Marketing (the ‘CAP’ code)
• The UK Code of Broadcast Advertising (‘BCAP’ code)
• The Gambling Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising
• Any relevant guidance issued by regulators such as the Advertising Standards Authority; Gambling Commission; and Information Commissioners’ Office on affiliate marketing requirements.

RAIG is also committed to engaging proactively with politicians and other stakeholders in any consultations and discussions that are relevant to the responsible marketing of gambling products. The new trade association will also be giving early consideration to whether and how it might support relevant projects in the sphere of research, education and treatment as well as the options for improving the training for those working in the gambling affiliate sector. These projects will be decided upon in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

In its press release, RAIG announced the appointment of former Remote Gambling Association (RGA) Chief Executive Clive Hawkswood as inaugural chairman.

"A broad group of affiliates has been discussing the need for a dedicated association for some time. Particular credit should go to the founding members of RAIG for making that a reality and, crucially, for deciding that it should focus exclusively on social responsibility and safer gambling. The new audit process will be a key driver to achieving compliance and progress in these crucial areas and raising the standards of the affiliate marketing sector as a whole.

However, the members are anxious to go beyond that and we look forward to engaging with other stakeholders, especially regulators, to explore what additional measures might be considered in the future.

Affiliate providers of marketing services are already subject to extensive regulation, but more can always be done in relation to consumer protection and RAIG will provide the forum for that."

Sarah Ramanauskas, Senior Partner at Gambling Integrity said: "We are delighted to be the providers of audit services to RAIG and its members. The RAIG’s focus on raising standards, together with its objective of providing a safer environment for players, is an important and timely initiative."