2004-06-15
ADVERTISING CODE OF PRACTICE

This Code is to be adopted as a means of advertising self-regulation for the interactive gambling industry and is intended to be applied to all forms of advertising whether conducted directly by an operator or by a third party on behalf of an operator. The Code is intended to supplement applicable legislative requirements within a jurisdiction, providing a minimum acceptable advertising code of practice.

The object of this Code is to ensure that advertisements are legal, decent, honest and truthful and that they have been prepared with a sense of obligation to the consumer and society and to ensure that members conduct business in a manner that generally upholds / preserves and maintains the reputation of the online gaming industry as a whole. A serious breach of this Code may affect the status of IGC Membership.

WEBSITE

The website of an interactive gambling operator should contain the following in a readily accessible location:

1. The name of the operator and the address of its registered office;

2. Contact information (e.g. telephone, real-time and/or e-mail) for resolving customer complaints and disputes;

3. A statement identifying the jurisdiction from which the interactive gambling is conducted, preferably with a link / contact for the licensing jurisdiction for dealing with consumer complaints;

4. Information about the type of license held by the operator and which authorizes the conduct of the interactive gambling business;

5. Link/s to, or information about, the IGC’s Helping Hand program or like problem / compulsive gambling service resources;

6. Clear information about the player registration process and deposit / withdrawal processes including timeliness of payments;

7. Clear information about the requirements for any promotional campaign, including a link to the rules established for each specific promotion;

8. Clear wording that persons under the age of 18, or such other age of majority in the applicable jurisdiction, are not permitted to register or to participate in interactive gambling. Depending upon the locale/s of the consumer market/s tools such as provided by Experian, Aristotle (VerifyMe) and www.BirthDateVerifier.com may assist in this regard.

9. Where available, the regulations of the jurisdiction within which the site is operating should be readily accessible whether via a link to the licensing jurisdiction or a direct post.

10. Information about the site’s payout percentages (if applicable, for example, casino style games), instructions on play and dispute resolution should be readily accessible.

11. Information collected about a player should only be used for the purpose/s for which collected and with the knowledge and acceptance of the player (opt-in). A site should adhere to the privacy and data protection requirements of applicable laws, or, if silent, to those as set out in the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (The CAP Code -- http://www.asa.org.uk/index.asp).

ADVERTISING

1. Advertising should not be false or misleading and deceptive, particularly with regard to winning, and should be based on fact or actual percentages.

2. Advertising should comply with principles of responsible gambling and should not be designed to encourage or mislead people to adopt uninformed gambling behaviour.

3. Advertisements should be in good taste, not offend prevailing community standards and not target minors or be displayed at sites frequented by minors.

4. Advertisements should not portray people in a stereotyped or demeaning fashion with respect to age, sex, sexual orientation, race or disability.

5. Advertisements should readily identify the person / site for which the advertising is performed and the advertiser / affiliate performing the advertising.

6. The target audience will be people of 18 years and over, or such other age of majority in the appropriate jurisdiction, and media selection and placement will be in accordance with applicable media Code of Practice. The advertising should not contain, whether real or diagrammatic, persons under the age of majority or give the impression of containing persons under the age of majority.

7. Advertisements should not contain any material that infringes on another’s intellectual property rights.

8. An operator should not engage in the distribution of unsolicited advertising (i.e. SPAM) either directly or through a third party. Email advertising should have an unsubscribe, or opt out, facility.

9. Advertisements should not provide opinion as to the legality in any jurisdiction other than the jurisdiction in which the operator is licensed. It may be beneficial to use language supplied by the regulators or gaming attorneys in the subject jurisdiction rather than the operator attempting to construe the applicable laws.

10. The advertising of interactive gambling should not be associated with excessive consumption of alcohol or drugs.

11. Advertisements should not contain a misrepresentation or defamatory statement that is likely to cause damage to the business or goodwill of another person.

12. An operator should make a best effort to ensure that a third party performing advertising on their behalf abides by this Code.

13. An operator should conduct business in a manner that generally upholds/preserves and maintains a positive reputation of the interactive gambling industry as a whole.

14. Interactive gambling software providers should make every effort to ensure that their licensees comply with, at a minimum, this Code of Practice.

15. Advertisements should comply with all applicable laws.