The Better Gambling Forum (BGF) has announced new guidelines, known as the Responsible Gambling Practice and Policy Pillars (RG3P) Framework, with a plan to improve player safety worldwide. The BGF’s goal is to set clear standards for responsible gaming by working with regulators, casino operators, and researchers. Their focus is on making gambling safer and more transparent, while still allowing the industry to grow.
The BGF is a global initiative focused on making gambling safer and more responsible. It brings together leaders from different parts of the industry, including regulators, casino operators, researchers, and player protection experts, to create stronger standards for responsible play. By setting clear international guidelines, the BGF aims to give players more protection no matter where they gamble, while still allowing the industry to grow in a sustainable way.
The RG3P Framework includes a six-pillar guide designed to help policymakers, regulators, and public health experts address gambling-related harm with a focus on brain health and public health.
The first pillar, Education, Informed Choice & Harm Prevention, focuses on giving players the knowledge they need to make responsible decisions while promoting proactive strategies to reduce harm. This includes informing players on warning signs or other risky gaming behaviour.
The second pillar, Risk Detection & Intervention, is centered on developing tools that can identify at-risk players and ensure they receive timely support. Building on that, the third pillar, Support, Treatment & Recovery, ensures that effective treatment and recovery services are available for individuals struggling with gambling-related issues.
The fourth pillar, Gambling Environment, Product & Marketing, sets standards for safer gambling products, environments, and marketing practices to minimize risks to players. The fifth pillar, Ethical Industry Practices & Accountability, promotes transparency and ethical behavior within the gambling industry, ensuring operators are held accountable for player safety.
Finally, the sixth pillar, Research, Evaluation & Sustainable Funding, calls for continuous research, regular evaluation of policies, and reliable long-term funding to support ongoing efforts in player protection.
The BGF seeks to set a standard maintained throughout the industry, including the United States, Europe, and Asia.
“Our mission is to create a practical, comprehensive framework that can be adopted across jurisdictions to strengthen existing player protection measures,” said Kevin Winters, a member of the BGF. “By focusing on these six pillars, we can provide a clear and actionable path forward that puts public and brain health first.”
For the iGaming industry, adopting these standards could bring several benefits. Clear, consistent guidelines would help operators avoid regulatory uncertainty by aligning practices with global expectations. Stronger player protection measures could also improve public trust, making people feel safer when engaging with gambling platforms.
In the long run, this approach not only reduces harm but also supports sustainable growth by showing that the industry takes accountability and player well-being seriously.
Along with the BGF looking for a more streamlined framework to address problem gambling at a global level, the industry has been seeing multiple recent shifts towards making responsible gaming a major priority.
Recently, the Responsible Online Gaming Association and Responsible Gaming Council have teamed up to create an industry-wide framework for improved responsible gaming.
At the state level, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), has proposed enhanced responsible gaming protocols, which would include proactive measures where user behavior is monitored. This would enable appropriate interventions to be made, ensuring that problem gambling is avoided.
If this proposal goes through, it would position New Jersey as a leader in the U.S. iGaming industry in responsible gaming, which could influence other states to follow suit.
Collectively, these global and local efforts will allow operators to cater to the needs of each user, ensuring that there are industry standards to meet to prioritize player safety.
