The intention is for the two RG-focused organizations to establish a new industry benchmark through a certification that evaluates operators on their self-exclusion and player support tools, staff training, marketing programs and other key areas through a data-driven, evidence-based approach. The aim is to help operators beef up their RG programs and practices to go beyond merely meeting provincial and state regulatory requirements.
RGC and ROGA will begin developing the framework for the certification framework, which will be used to evaluate all ROGA members upon completion.
ROGA’s membership accounts for 90% of the legal U.S. sports betting industry in terms of handle. Its eight members include six of the biggest names that are licensed and offering online casino and online sports betting in Canada’s regulated iGaming province of Ontario:
bet365
BetMGM
DraftKings
FanDuel
PENN Entertainment, owner of theScore Bet
Bally’s
The other two members, Fanatics Betting and Gaming and Hard Rock Digital, are not currently offering iGaming in Ontario, but both operators are exploring possibly expanding north of the border.
Operators lean on RGC expertise
In the Toronto-headquartered non-profit RGC, ROGA and its operator members have partnered with an organization that has been one of the world’s foremost leaders in player protection, prevention and responsible gaming solutions for more than 40 years.
The RGC conducts research, consults with stakeholders including operators and regulators, rolls out practical initiatives, provides education and develops and implements best practices. It also has its own accreditation program, RC Check, developed in consultation with policy makers, gambling providers, players and people who have experienced gambling harm.
RG Check accreditation helps both land-based and online gambling providers evaluate, monitor and manage all aspects of their RG strategy. It existed for brick-and-mortar gaming before Ontario launched regulated iGaming in April 2022, and iGaming Ontario (iGO) mandates that all regulated iGaming operators must achieve RG Check. RG Check accreditation is valid for three years before operators need to reapply and get certified all over again.
ROGA said that RGC’s expertise will serve as a critical resource in the creation and management of the certification program, and RGC CEO Sarah McCarthy said the new U.S. certification “will build on years of evidence-based work and experience building RG Check as a trusted standard.”
RGC and Shatley first worked together back in 2023, before ROGA was formed, and RGC and ROGA collaborate with each other and lived-experience specialists EPIC Global Solutions and mental health service provider Kindbridge Behavioral Health on the “Know Your Play” campaign, an initiative providing U.S. college students with detailed content focused on responsible gaming, mental health and well-being and financial literacy.
Collaboration always key, RGC tells CGB
RGC’s Senior Vice President of Accreditation, Advisory and Insights, Tracy Parker, told Canadian Gaming Business earlier this year that the RGC recently updated RG Check after thorough consultation to ensure that it is a robust and relevant accreditation program that keeps up with the rapid pace of change in iGaming.
“We have found we’ve needed to talk to more people,” Parker told CGB. “It really is about the collective understanding of impact and collaboration around solutions. And that’s not just operators. We need to be talking to manufacturers and marketing affiliates, payment solution providers, leagues, athletes, coaches, university campuses, the whole ecosystem.
“New forms of gambling create new risks. I think there’s a lag in RG awareness generally, and we work on keeping pace with the evolution of the industry. It’s a constant effort to keep up.”