UK heavyweights form ‘Responsible Affiliates in Gambling’

New UK industry trade association ‘Responsible Affiliates in Gambling (RAIG)’ has been formed in recognition of the role ‘affiliate marketing providers must play’ as part of wider UK industry initiatives promoting social responsibility and safer gambling standards.

RAIG is founded by leading UK betting affiliate publishers; the Racing Post, Better Collective and Oddschecker, backing the RAIG’s mandate of ‘promoting social responsibility within the affiliate marketing sector to create a safer environment for online users’.

The association details that it plans to grow its membership with ‘like-minded companies’ operating within the UK gambling space.

As a condition of membership, RAIG will require its members to undertake ‘an annual social responsibility audit which will be conducted by Gambling Integrity’, for the purpose of ensuring that the affiliate publishers are compliant with a range of existing statutory and non-statutory regulations, including:

• The UK CAP Code
• The UK Code of Broadcast Advertising (‘BCAP’ code)
• The Gambling Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising
• Any relevant guidance issued by regulators such as the Advertising Standards Authority; Gambling Commission; and Information Commissioners’ Office on affiliate marketing requirements.

In its founding statement, RAIG confirms the appointment of former Remote Gambling Association (RGA) Chief Executive Clive Hawkswood as inaugural chairman.

“A broad group of affiliates have been discussing the need for a dedicated association for some time,” he said. “Particular credit should go to the founding members of RAIG for making that a reality and, crucially, for deciding that it should focus exclusively on social responsibility and safer gambling. The new audit process will be a key driver to achieving compliance and progress in these crucial areas and raising the standards of the affiliate marketing sector as a whole.

“However, the members are anxious to go beyond that and we look forward to engaging with other stakeholders, especially regulators, to explore what additional measures might be considered in the future.

“Affiliate providers of marketing services are already subject to extensive regulation, but more can always be done in relation to consumer protection and RAIG will provide the forum for that.”

As a new industry association, RAIG seeks to engage proactively with politicians and regulatory stakeholders in consultation, discussion and knowledge sharing of industry affiliates and marketing of gambling products.

Sarah Ramanauskas, Senior Partner at Gambling Integrity, said: “We are delighted to be the providers of audit services to RAIG and its members. The RAIG’s focus on raising standards, together with its objective of providing a safer environment for players, is an important and timely initiative.”