The Industry Group for Responsible Gambling – What Is the IGRG?

Written By Scott Lawson Published on 20.04.2021 Last Updated on 19.07.2024

The IGRG works to promote socially responsible gambling advertising and to ensure that standards are met, through the publication and dissemination of its Gambling Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising.

On this page, you can learn about the IGRG and what it does. Also covered are the contents of the Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising and what constitutes safe marketing practices.

The IGRG and What It Does

The IGRG is an influential organisation in the UK gambling business. In the following sections, you will find out about its origins, organisation and what it does. When it was created, the Group consisted of representatives from trade industry associations. These were the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB), the British Amusement & Catering Trade Association (BACTA), the Bingo Association (BA), the National Casino Forum (NCF) and the Remote Gambling Association (RCA). Since the founding of the Betting and Gaming Council in 2019, which saw the amalgamation of these industry interest groups into one large organisation, this structure has naturally changed. As an overall aim, the Group works to provide structures and guidelines for the business in order to promote safer and more socially responsible gambling across sectors in the UK. The specific focus of the Group has been on gambling advertisement and marketing in general. In line with this, the IGRG has created a code of advertising practice.

Information About the IGRG

The IGRG was founded in 2014 and incorporated as a separate and independent organisation in November 2015. It works to further socially responsible gambling and specifically safer gambling advertising in the casino and sports betting industries in the UK. This covers brick and mortar gambling establishments, online casinos and sports books, as well as all associated advertisements.

The Group is chaired by John Hagan, who is also the Deputy Chairman of GamCare. He has been the chairman of the IGRG since its founding. His interest in working with the Group stems from his interest in making sure that the industry comes together to “work on prevention rather than cure”.

Hagan took over the chair at the end of 2015. He was preceded by Barry Hardy, who succeeded the Group’s original chairman – Clive Hawkswood – in September 2014. Hardy is a veteran of the gambling business, having worked in various gambling companies in the UK, Europe, the United States of America, South Africa and the Middle East. Hawkswood was long-time Chief Executive of the Remote Gambling Association.

Gambling Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising

One of the main occupations of the Industry Group for Responsible Gambling is to publish up to date guidance on responsible gambling advertising. The resulting publication is titled the Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising. This is also known as the Industry Code.

To date, the Group has published seven editions of the Industry Code. The latest edition was published in January 2021. As would be expected, each new edition has provided more detailed and stricter advice and guidelines for the advertising practices of members in the industry.

As summarised and supported by the Betting and Gaming Council, the following constitute the main points of the Industry Code:

1. Include reference to begambleaware.org in all print and broadcast advertisements
2. Adhere to product restrictions, in line with the television watershed
3. Include safer gambling messages in all television advertisement
4. Comply with minimum text size guidance for television adverts
5. Follow all guidance for radio advertising
6. Make it clear that advertising is aimed solely at adults
7. Include safer gambling messages on click-through pages from banner ads
8. Adhere to restrictions on sports sponsorships
9. Inclusion of reference to www.begambleaware.org in television sponsorship
10. Follow social media marketing guidelines
11. Promote consumer awareness of responsible gambling
12. Avoid phrasing included on the keyword blacklist
13. Monitor affiliate activity accordingly

The IGRG also requests that anyone who notices a potential breach of the rules set out in the code reports the suspected issue to the Group.

Responsible Gambling Week

The Responsible Gambling Week is an initiative championed by the Industry Group for Responsible Gambling. The week involves more than 100,000 staff, stationed at thousands of gambling venue and companies, running events and activities to highlight safe gambling. Staff at land-based establishments are encouraged to speak directly to customers about safer gambling, clear responsible gambling messages will be displayed across the industry, and other efforts will be made to loudly promote the IGRG’s social messages.

The week is supported by the various companies in the industry, including casino operators and bookmakers. This ensures that there is industry-wide accord on how to promote responsible gambling.

The Responsible Gambling Week is also an opportunity for the gambling industry in the UK to reflect upon the best moves in the future. This may include working within new regulations from the Gambling Commission or figuring out how best to tackle challenges.

This collaboration allows for operators to ensure that they are providing the best services to their users. It also helps the industry as a whole to maintain a positive reputation with the wider public and other companies. This allows, as an example, for operators to use popular payment methods.

The Responsible Gambling Week was rebranded as Safer Gambling Week in June 2020. You can read more about it at safergamblinguk.org.

Responsible Advertising in the UK

As most people in the UK will know, gambling marketing is ubiquitous in numerous different areas: television, social media, banner ads and sports sponsorships, to name a few. The industry is working hard to create a safe and responsible culture of advertising. The IGRG plays a large role in this.

The IGRG, while interested in all aspects responsible gambling practices, focuses itself mainly on advertising. As such, it is less directly involved in ensuring that operators have fair games, transparent return to player rates and so on, which is handled more by the Gambling Commission and independent auditors.

There have been numerous different initiatives that the IGRG has used in order to promote safe gambling practices across the industry, including Responsible Gambling Week and the Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising.

Whistle-to-Whistle Advertising Ban

In December 2018, the IGRG announced plans for a “whistle to whistle ban” on all TV betting adverts during live sports broadcasted before the watershed. This was included in the fourth edition of the Industry Code. This ban, which runs from five minutes before the start of the sporting event until five minutes after it finishes, is effective for all sporting events televised before 9pm and after 5.30am. There is an exception for horse and greyhound racing.

The aim was to reduce the number of gambling adverts that young and vulnerable people see and has seen some measured success. It is in addition to pre-existing measures to reduce gambling adverts during build-up and highlights shows.

The Impact of the IGRG on the UK Gambling Industry

As already mentioned, initiatives such as the whistle to whistle ban and the responsible gambling week have shown some success in promoting safe gaming and betting. There has also been a demonstrable improvement in the culture of operators.

John Hagan stated that he believed “enormous progress has been made” in the industry with regards to responsible gambling and that he has seen “cultural change when it comes to safer gambling” among operators. The work of the Group is to make sure that gambling companies foster a top-down culture of safe and responsible gambling. This is the explicit motivation behind the advertising codes of practice. As such, its success and impact should be judged on this point in the main.

The Future of Responsible Gambling Advertising

With the founding of the Betting and Gaming Council, the structure of the IGRG has changed. It is no longer the sole industry-spanning organisation on the trade association side of things. It is, however, continuing to promote high standards, and will do so going forward. It has the full support of the BGC, and so it seems likely that socially responsible gambling practices and advertising will only be improved in the future.

Responsible gambling practices encompasses a wide range of topics and covers all sorts of different types of adverts. As mobile casino sites continue to become more and more popular, for example, operators will need to be aware of maintaining standards while targeting players through social media and online ads. The future of the industry is certainly a continuing and continuous reflection of the efforts needed to protect players in an ever-changing market.

Conclusion – IGRG and UK Gambling

While the Industry Group for Responsible Gambling is by no means the only organisation active in the UK casino and betting industry that is attempting to promote and support safer gambling, it is one of the major forces for change and continued improvement for online casino sites.

As the IGRG continues to publish updated codes of conduct concerning socially responsible gambling advertising and industry practices, it may be hoped that the market will see further improvements concerning problem gambling and gambling harm prevention in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any further questions about the Industry Group for Responsible Gambling, then please see the following answers. Hopefully, we have been able to anticipate your queries and provide satisfactory solutions.

Why is responsible gambling important?

Responsible gambling is important as safe gaming practices reduce the risk of gambling harm. Most players are able to gamble safely and without problem, but the industry is working hard to help protect those who are problem gamblers, and to protect those at risk from gambling harm. Initiatives like the Responsible Gambling Week aim to promote responsible gambling.

What is responsible gambling?

Responsible gambling is betting, casino gaming or other gambling activity that does not cause emotional, financial or social problems for the individual who gambles. Responsible gambling practices also refer to the operators. The IGRG provides guidelines on responsible advertising in line with this.

How do you become a responsible gambler?

In order to become a responsible gambler, a bettor must consider what impact any gambling may have on their lives. Ideally, everyone who bets should make a budget for playing that will not risk financial stress. They should also be aware of any social impacts that their gambling may have. The IGRG works hard to make sure that all players in the UK are aware of this responsible approach.

What is included in the concept of responsible gambling?

Responsible gambling refers to all actions that can safeguard against gambling causing personal and financial problems for a gambler. This may include safe gaming practices such as setting budgets and time limits on betting and playing games of chance, sensible approaches to betting strategies, recognising and controlling any dangerous impulses to bet more than can be afforded. It also includes the responsible advertising practices of the gambling operators.

What is the Industry Group for Responsible Gambling?

The Industry Group for Responsible Gambling is an industry organisation that aims to promote socially responsible practices and advertising by gambling operators and industry stakeholders. You can learn more about the Group by clicking here.