Ensuring that gambling platforms offer fair platforms and operate within the boundaries of legislation and law is imperative. A solid framework that online casinos adhere to can maintain the industry's legitimacy.
It’s reasonably obvious, but online casinos and other gambling companies must implement fair play and ethical advertising practices. Those with more prominent names and large advertising revenues must be the torchbearers. If they can lead the way and put ethics and fairness at the forefront of everything they do, this will ensure that challenger casinos are marketing themselves appropriately.
Given that so many online casinos are looking to get in on the action and are launching from different countries and locations, they should look at the big names in the business to ensure they’re marketing themselves as ethically and responsibly as possible.
Importance of Regulation
I’d say it’s not entirely down to online casinos to promote fair play on their own, but they’re definitely the industry's figurehead. As with any prominent sector or industry, it’s not just about the message but the broader ethos the industry implements as part of its fair play and ethical advertising practices. There needs to be fair oversight from independent bodies implementing some of the online casino industry's suggestions.
In any big industry, there needs to be an independent regulator that oversees daily activities and ensures that the industry isn’t left to its own devices. Regulators are a necessary bridge between legislation and gambling companies trying to find the middle ground in ethical advertising and fair play.
In the banking and finance industry, there are regulatory bodies that will audit and examine the activities of big corporations. Likewise, trading standards and marketing regulators will use various sources and seek expert advice to ascertain when a gambling company may have crossed the line with a product or service they want to advertise.
The Role of the IAGR
If you look at casino reviews like I do, you’ll notice a common trend emerging among people who have lost money and those who believe a casino has mistreated them. I am not suggesting for a minute that there aren’t some online casinos out there that cut corners and use underhand tactics to try and get one over on people.
It’s crucial that those people who use online casinos in the US experience the same sort of fair play and ethical benchmarks as those who place a bet in South Africa, Australia or Germany. Given that online gambling brings so many countries under one umbrella and fuses them into one industry, it’s vital that there’s an overseeing body that does the same thing. Hence, disgruntled customers have a monolithic, legislative body to voice their concerns. A level playing field is vital for the harmonious development of the broader online casino sector.
Firstly, from a legislative perspective, you want to ensure that the casino you’re accessing has the correct licensing. While many casinos will be based in Curaçao, Malta or other countries that might seem miles away from where their site suggests, they still need to adhere to broader gambling laws and ethical practices.
The emergence of the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) has helped stop rogue operators. Instead of relying on individual countries to appropriately monitor and call out unfair practices or unethical behaviour, this non-profit organization collates all of the top gambling bodies in the world. It brings the brightest minds together to ensure that any online casino meets the proper criteria and benchmark.
What Does an Ethical Online Casino Look Like?
For me, an ethical casino must tick four boxes. These four fundamental principles are essential for an online casino to be as fair and ethical as possible:
Emphasis on Responsible Gambling
As online casinos become one of the leading ways people place bets, they have a duty of care to those gamblers who might be prone to problem gambling. The IAGR and prominent gambling commissions ensure that emphasizing responsible gambling is cemented in the foundation of any new casino.
However, in my opinion, how casinos signpost it on their site is what separates top casinos from the rest of the pack. There have also been worrying instances of problem gamblers, or those who have decided to opt out of services and excluded themselves, being sent bonus offers or betting credits.
Clearly, this is highly unethical, and providers who have been guilty of it have faced significant penalties and punishment. While emails are the main source of contacting customers, ethical providers will have better safeguards to prevent such dangerous events from occurring.
Clear Terms and Conditions
I know how mundane it can seem when presented with a terms and conditions section that looks more like a novel than a succinct, to-the-point couple of pages. However, online casinos must adhere to this; they need to tell you what you’re agreeing to.
From my experience, this is the most common way that casinos will try to get one over on people if they’re in the business of being untoward and not entirely clear about what they’re offering. Often, the devil is in the details.
No casino is going to state in its terms and conditions that it’s not keen on promoting fair play, but if it wants you to jump through hoops before you claim your funds, has promotions with high wagering requirements or doesn’t allow you to cash out your winnings as real cash, these are just some examples of how it might not be as fair or ethical as some of its competitors.
Fair Bonuses
Welcome promotions and existing customer bonuses are the most effective forms of advertising that online casinos use. Offering bettors credits or a free way to play has become dominant in online casino advertising.
Therefore, they’re rightly under scrutiny; as discussed in the last section, you want to know wagering requirements, max cashouts and how many games you can use the bonus on. From the outside looking in, or as a casual casino gamer, it might seem bonuses and advertising are mutually exclusive – but they're the epicentre of advertising.
Avoiding Misleading Terminology and Unclear Language
Having been around this industry for years, I’ve encountered all sorts of gambling adverts, from the dull to the outright bizarre. Casinos that use deliberately conflating language, difficult percentages to calculate or complicated jargon should immediately raise alarm bells.
There's strict legislation in the US and UK to ensure casino advertisements use clear language when promoting their games, but social media is more problematic to monitor when it comes to online gambling advertising. Still, if you’re ever unsure of what a bonus or a provider offers, I’d recommend either reading up on it or avoiding it altogether.
Principles of Online Casino Advertising
Any casino that advertises a bonus or a casino game as a means to make money, or implies that the house is at some sort of disadvantage, is on thin ice from an ethical perspective. Any advert that even suggests you will be making money from gambling is a big no.
It’s unlikely you’ll encounter unethical TV or radio adverts that breach gambling ethics, at least in the UK, US or Australia. Firstly, only a tiny percentage of casinos can afford TV and radio advertisements, which usually means they’ve been around a long time or have the bankroll to spend big on adverts.
Companies with such a facility will have extensive marketing departments and people who understand ethical advertising practices and they can face heavy fines. It’s not to say it doesn’t happen, but it’s rarer. The rise of digital casino gaming has meant several smaller casinos may skirt the ethics of online casino advertising.
Some may not do it intentionally, and some might be a little too eager to get their brand out there. One example would be a new casino sending dozens of emails to thousands of email addresses over a week, which is digital spam.
While it won’t get them shut down, it’s not a good way to advertise. Social media websites can be the Wild West as well. Just this week, I came across sponsored gambling adverts on X that breach legislation or are clearly phishing or spam. These are often run by fraudsters and not the actual online casino companies themselves, but it’s just something to be aware of if you use social media to seek out gambling promotions and adverts.
Final Thoughts
Online casino companies are on the frontline; they deal with customers daily and know the feedback they get from their advertising campaigns and where to improve. Dealing with regulators is a two-way street and ensuring that the knowledge is shared both ways is vital in maintaining the structure of fair play and ethical advertising.
Of course, other gambling companies must also get involved, whether they’re sports betting platforms or lottery competitions. There needs to be a broader collective push and clarity to ensure that online casinos adhere to the correct guidelines and that the culture surrounding online casino advertising can set the benchmark for the industry to be viewed as operating within the proper framework.
Julia Attard is the Senior Content Team Lead for CasinoTopsOnline, one of the foremost online casino review portals. She advocates upfront, honest reviews for her readers and embodies those values as she teaches others. With nearly a decade of experience in iGaming, she possesses a deep understanding of the industry from many different specialities, and endeavours to pass this knowledge on to others in the hope they too may find the iGaming world as fascinating as she does.
