Responsible Gaming Manual for Committed Operators
1) JR Policy, Strategy, and Culture
Objective: move from “we have a Responsible Gaming (RG) page” to real governance with goals and leadership.
What to implement
- Public and clear RG policy: commitment to prevention and harm mitigation, player rights, help channels.
- Annual strategy with OKRs: objectives, responsible parties, roadmap, investments, audits.
- Tone from management: the board positions RG as a business priority (not marketing).
- Role integration: each area (Product, Data, CRM, Payments, Legal, Support) has explicit RG tasks.
Minimum KPIs
- Policy published and reviewed (every 12 months).
- % of RG objectives met per quarter.
- Number of internal/external RG audits conducted.
Responsible: CEO/COO, Compliance, Head of Product.
2) Employee Training
Objective: ensure everyone knows what RG is, how to act, and what not to do.
What to implement
- RG onboarding for 100% of staff + biannual refreshers.
- Role-specific modules:
- Support/CRM: empathetic conversation, limit activation, referrals.
- Product/UX: in-product messages, healthy frictions, accessibility.
- Marketing/Affiliates: safe segmentation, clear T&Cs, exclusions.
- Data/BI: early alerts and thresholds.
- Training evaluation (+ surveys) and continuous improvement.
KPIs
- Training coverage: ≥95%.
- Evaluation score: ≥80%.
- Number of drills and calibrated cases per month.
Responsible: HR, Compliance, Area Leaders.
3) Self-Exclusion
Objective: make self-exclusion easy, fast, and respected—and connect it with help resources.
What to implement
- Public policy and FAQs, clear language, visible timeframes.
- Simple registration (1–2 steps), options for duration (e.g., 6/12/24 months).
- No marketing to self-excluded users (email/SMS/push/in-app).
- Return kit (when applicable): re-entry only after a limits plan and cooldown to increase them.
- Referral to country-specific help upon self-exclusion.
KPIs
- Self-exclusion TTR: <5 min.
- Zero marketing impacts to self-excluded users.
- % of self-excluded users receiving help information: 100%.
Responsible: Product, CRM, Compliance.
4) Assistance to Players with Risk Indicators
Objective: detect, respond, and document systematically.
What to implement
- Policy and protocols for: help requests, crises, problem disclosure.
- Systems to identify high-risk behaviors (e.g., multiple deposits, “chasing losses,” stake escalations, prolonged/nocturnal sessions, withdrawal reversals).
- Playbooks for agents (chat/voice/email scripts), referral to help, blocks/pauses, and limits.
- CRM logging of interactions and outcomes (with privacy by design).
KPIs
- TTR in critical cases: ≤60″ chat / ≤30 s voice.
- % of cases with protective action (limit/pause/self-exclusion/referral).
- % complete and audited documentation.
Responsible: Support/Operations, RG Analyst, Compliance.
5) Informed Decision
Objective: facilitate safe decisions, not sell illusions.
What to implement
- Visible help center: how games work, odds, common myths.
- Low-risk info: limits, pauses, self-exclusion, budgeting.
- Player services: self-assessment, play history, accumulated time and spend.
- Human response: team able to explain tools and refer to resources.
KPIs
- % of pages/products with visible RG messages.
- CTR to Country Help and use of tools (limits/pauses).
- Measurement of understanding (post-test in onboarding).
Responsible: Content/UX, Support, Product.
6) Marketing and Communications
Objective: clear, honest, and safe campaigns.
What to implement
- Responsible marketing policy: no deception, no targeting vulnerable groups, 18+.
- Creative and segmentation pre-check (compliance gate).
- Key T&Cs in the piece (e.g., rollover, validity, limits).
- Exclusions: minors, self-excluded, “pause,” risk flags, sensitive segments.
- Affiliate/influencer control: contracts, audits, and sanctions.
KPIs
- % of pieces with visible RG message.
- Zero impacts to self-excluded/pause users.
- % of campaigns with legible key T&Cs.
Responsible: Marketing, Affiliates, Compliance.
7) Accounts and Payments
Objective: ensure registration, deposits, and withdrawals protect the player.
What to implement
- Clear terms: legal age, RG, player protection.
- Minor prevention (age/identity verification).
- One account per player; anti-fraud controls.
- Transparent history: time, spend, deposits/withdrawals.
- Deposits/withdrawals with security barriers (caps, cooldown, MCC block on betting if player’s bank allows).
- Withdrawal reversal: disabled where legally required; if allowed, add double confirmation + waiting period.
KPIs
- % of KYC-verified accounts.
- Withdrawal times according to policy.
- Incidents due to reversal minimal/zero.
Responsible: Payments/FinOps, Product, Legal/Compliance.
8) Site and Product Design
Objective: avoid extended and impulsive gambling, encourage breaks and control.
What to implement
- Reality checks by time and spend.
- Pauses (timeouts) 24–72 h; easy self-exclusion.
- Limits on deposit/loss/time + max bet per play.
- Review of new games through RG lens (no reinforcing myths, no “false certainty”).
- AA accessibility; one (1) purpose per message; safe actions first.
KPIs
- Limit adoption per 1,000 sessions.
- Reduction of time after reality checks.
- % of games approved with RG review.
Responsible: Product/UX, Data, Compliance.
9) Work with Stakeholders
Objective: build solutions with community, players, and experts.
What to implement
- Stakeholder map and annual engagement plan.
- Collaboration with prevention/treatment agencies (training, campaigns).
- Player feedback (surveys, forums, beta tests of RG tools).
- Applied research: A/B pilots, papers, sharing findings (when possible).
KPIs
- Number of initiatives with community/academia.
- Product changes derived from feedback.
- Internal/external publications of improvements.
Responsible: Public Affairs, Product, Data.
Implementation Roadmap (90 days)
- Weeks 1–2: publish RG policy, appoint RG Committee (CEO/COO/Compliance/Product/Data/Support/Marketing) and approve OKRs.
- Weeks 3–4: activate training (100% staff), publish Help Center and RG messages site-wide.
- Weeks 5–6: launch self-exclusion + timeout + limits; block marketing to self-excluded/pause users.
- Weeks 7–8: deploy triggers (time, multiple deposits, chasing, stake spikes) with in-product messages and healthy frictions.
- Weeks 9–12: internal audit, KPI dashboards, A/B tests and first quarterly RG report to the board.
Control Dashboard (Core KPIs)
- Protection: adoption of limits/pauses/self-exclusion; CTR to “Country Help.”
- Risk: incidents of withdrawal reversals, attempts to gamble post-exclusion, critical contacts handled within SLA.
- Marketing: exposure to self-excluded/pause users (goal 0), % of pieces with key T&Cs and RG message.
- Culture: training coverage, evaluation score, and drills conducted.
- Continuous improvement: number of product/UX changes derived from RG data.
Operational Checklist (for printing)
- Public and updated RG policy (12m).
- RG OKRs approved by management.
- 100% staff training + biannual refreshers.
- Active and visible self-exclusion/timeout/limits.
- Risk triggers and in-product messages in production.
- Zero marketing to self-excluded/pause users; key T&Cs in pieces.
- Robust KYC and minor prevention; one account per player.
- RG review of new games before publishing.
- Engagement with agencies/players/research.
- RG dashboard to board every quarter.
Roles and Governance (Minimum RACI)
- Board/CEO: vision, budget, accountability.
- Compliance/Legal: policy, control, audit.
- Product/UX: tools, messages, and safe design.
- Data/BI: alerts, KPIs, experiments.
- Marketing/Affiliates: policies, exclusions, safe creatives.
- Support/Operations: help protocol, logging, escalation.
- Payments/FinOps: deposit/withdrawal controls, reversals, and limits.
RACI:
- R – Responsible: who executes the work. There can be multiple Rs.
- A – Accountable: who answers for the outcome and signs off the delivery. Ideally only one per task.
- C – Consulted: people who provide expert judgment and with whom there is two-way communication.
- I – Informed: those who only need to be kept aware. One-way communication.
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