Social Media Tracker: how will the RGSB name change affect operators' social media posts during Safer Gambling Week?
In a series of monthly articles, Crystal Content looks at how operators should be demonstrating safe play tools through their messaging
For any operators within the online gambling industry, the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board, which is also known as the RGSB, will be very familiar. This is the independent advisory board within the UK Gambling Commission, and they have a strong influence on what operators can and can’t do. The guidelines set out by this advisory board need to be adhered to both on websites and across all social media channels.
Last year, the RGSB changed its name to become the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling (ABSG). This is something that many operators will be familiar with as there are further guidelines being set out and a shift of focus is taking place.
So, what does this name change really mean and how will this affect operators and what they post on social media? Find out as we explore this below.
Recent changes
In April 2019, Dr Anna van der Gaag CBE took over as the new chair of the RGSB from previous chair Sir Christopher Kelly. At this time, there was also an announcement that the RGSB would be renamed the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling. This was an attempt to reduce gambling harms and switch the focus from the players to the operators.
The previous focus on responsible gambling was effective but did put the responsibility on players. While many operators took steps to provide players with responsible gambling tools, it was really up the players to make the final decision on their investment in these sites. According to Gambling Commission chief executive Neil McArthur, the new focus will ensure operators are protecting their customers.
Safer Gambling Week
In line with the name change of this well-known advisory board, their annual event has also undergone some changes. Responsible Gambling Week will now become Safer Gambling Week in an attempt to push the new focus that operators should be responsible for their actions. This year’s Safer Gambling Week will take place between 19 and 25 November.
This week is one that is celebrated and promoted by many operators on their sites and across social media channels. Operators typically use the branding and content created by the ABSG in order to promote the event. With a new-found focus, we are keen to see how this might change how this is promoted by operators. So far, the Facebook page for Safer Gambling Week hasn’t seen much action but we are sure that the ABSG will soon start promoting this event across their social channels.
Case study: Tombola
One operator to have already taken on board the new focus both on their site and across social channels is tombola. Instead of responsible gambling tools, tombola offers a ‘Safe Play’ section which highlights what the ABSG is promoting. This can be found in the players’ account section and is often highlighted by members of the tombola team.
Tombola Bingo has over 176,496 likes on Facebook and is active across all other major social channels. Tombola’s messaging has a strong focus on community and many players at this site engage on social media in order to become part of this community. This is echoed across the chatrooms that can be found on tombola’s site and apps.
On 5 May, tombola released a video campaign that indicated their focus on staying safe both on their site and throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. This post received over 82 likes and 23 comments on Facebook with plenty of engagement from players. In the post, they directed their players to the Safe Play section of their site in order to encourage them to use the tools at their disposal.
Tombola is a brand that has always done a great job at promoting responsible gambling. We expect that when Safer Gambling Week comes around in November, it will have a strong campaign across all of its social channels. For now, it is adhering to the new messaging set out by the ABSG.
How will operators adapt?
Operators must make sure that they are not putting the responsibility on players to gamble safely. Operators have the power to encourage players to only deposit what they can afford and put restrictions in place to ensure this. With the ABSG shifting the responsibility to operators, this messaging must be seen in any content.
These changes are recent and so there isn’t much evidence to suggest that operators have taken heed just yet. However, with brands like tombola already offering ‘safe play’ rather than ‘responsible gambling’ tools, we are sure that other operators will be quick to follow.
Safer Gambling Week is only a few months away and with the current pandemic we are facing giving people more time to play at online casinos, this has never been more important. For now, operators will need to change their messaging and meet any new guidelines set out by the board and its new chair.
Sharon McFarlane is the managing director of Crystal Content – a digital marketing agency that specialises in igaming. She has eight years’ experience in the industry and has contributed regularly to industry magazines and conferences sharing her expertise on all things digital marketing. Her company (www.crystalcontent.co.uk) offers an outsourced solution for igaming businesses when it comes to content marketing, social media, UX design, website design, branding and conversion rate optimisation.