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Consumer protection associations

Close cooperation with stakeholders and thinking beyond borders has helped us to become a leader in the industry.

While regulation of online gaming at a national level is able to provide a degree of protection for consumers in that territory, the diversity of approach and the fact that in most countries no such regulations exist means that the levels of protection available to consumers can vary considerably depending upon which territory the player is based. For an international gaming operator like bwin.party, restricting ourselves solely to compliance with national regulations would therefore necessarily lead to an inconsistent approach. As a result, in addition to complying with our license obligations wherever they apply, we also employ a self-imposed layer of protection for consumers based on best practice self-regulation to complement national regulations.

This is the reason why we have established a series of strong and long-standing relationships with a number of leading organisations whose aim is to ensure a high level of player protection for consumers.

GamCare

Having been one of the first online operators to be certificated by GamCare, the UK’s leading provider of information, advice, support and free counselling for the prevention and treatment of problem gambling, bwin.party continues to apply the high standards of self-regulation set by GamCare.

EGBA standards

As a member of the European Gaming and Betting Association ("EGBA"), we also comply with its 170 standards covering aspects of responsible gaming and good business practice, and the Generally Accepted Practices, which are both audited annually by the e-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance ("eCOGRA"), a non-profit player protection and standards organisation that provides an international framework for best operational practice requirements, with particular emphasis on fair and responsible gambling. A study carried out by eCOGRA showed that the standards adhered to by bwin.party clearly exceed the player protection measures imposed by state-owned operators in a number of European Member States.

CEN workshop agreement

For the first time in online gaming industry, as a result of close cooperation between regulatory bodies, research institutes, healthcare providers and the industry, the European Committee for Standardization initiated in 2010 an international stakeholder dialogue to develop standards for player protection on the internet. This workshop process over the course of several months resulted in the development of the "CWA 16259:2011 Responsible Remote Gambling Measures" standard, which comprises 130 normative rules in nine categories:

  • The protection of vulnerable customers
  • The prevention of underage gambling
  • Combating fraudulent and criminal behaviour
  • Protection of customer privacy and safeguarding of information
  • Prompt and accurate customer payments
  • Fair gaming
  • Responsible marketing
  • Commitment to customer satisfaction and support
  • Secure, safe and reliable operating environment

As a stakeholder in the process, we plan to become certified according to CWA 16259 during 2011.