Casino and Bingo Affiliates need to be more attentive when joining forces with Casino and Bingo affiliate programs, as there are new rules from the UKGC (UK Gambling Commission).
UK Gambling Rules Compliance for Affiliates
Please study and understand this post. Your marketing distribution channels need to be compliant, or your marketing sources and earnings will be at risk.
Steps Regarding the Compliance of Gambling Rules in the UK
- BeGamble Aware logos and the 18+ logos and applicable links need to be on each page. Relevant marketing materials should also be on your site.
- Obey all UKGC requirements, which means constantly updating and editing responsible gambling messaging and site messaging.
- There can be no images or other material that can be regarded as child-friendly. We can provide a checklist of keywords and images that are to be avoided.
- All applicable Affiliate Ads need to be noted as #Ads. You can have this integrated into advertising banners.
- All Banners need to allocate at least 15% of space to the Responsible Gambling Messaging.
- With space-restricted assets, significant terms may be replaced with “T&C Apply” with a link to the full terms.
- Clear and current Terms & Conditions for a bonus must appear when a bonus or offer is displayed, this is not negotiable. With these Terms and Conditions, a link to the full Terms & Conditions regarding the bonus or offer must be provided.
- All affiliates need to follow all applicable regulation and legislation requirements.
Many UK Gambling Affiliate programs will observe these factors to start with to ensure compliance.
How Affiliates Confirm Compliance with UK Gambling Legislation
The below points are about website(s) and marketing channels. There is help out there to ensure that you are compliant.
What Needs to be Done?
UK websites should have the below mentioned on each page and, where applicable, for player bonuses.
- New Clients Only – Especially with sign-up bonuses.
- All Bonuses need to have significant Terms and Conditions displayed. The Significant Terms of that bonus must be displayed wherever you market a bonus. Players understand the terms.
- Gamble Responsibly – Have the Gambling problems link on every page. www.begambleaware.org.
- 18+ Logo – To safeguard against Underage Gambling, this needs to be displayed on every page.
- Have a link to the Terms and Conditions when you are promoting any bonuses or offers. Landing Pages that contain the Terms and Conditions are a good idea. Put a link to the Terms and Conditions on the page.
Promotional Bonus Text that is Compliant
The reward style needs to be fixed when describing a bonus, whether it’s a sign-up bonus or any other type of bonus. If a bonus has several sections, ensure that you supply the particulars on how to claim each section of the bonus in the terms and conditions. It is recommended to promote first deposit bonuses if space is a problem.
Bonus information needs to be up to date and correct at all times. Older offers with regards to bonuses may be displayed if there is a date provided in the article. Otherwise, only the current bonus offer details may be on display.
Help Available To Ensure Compliance
Additional resources that offer get help regarding compliance:
- ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) Contains Website Copy Advice
- Information Commissioner’s Office
- Gambling Commission Site
- Advertising Guidance for Gambling
KYC (Know Your Customer) and Verification
The latest requirements dictated by the UKGC (UK Gambling Commission) have specified that Affiliate Programs with brand or trade names licensed by the UKGC must do KYC and Verification verifications on all partners.
These verifications are necessary for doing business in the United Kingdom for all UK trademarks and brands. It means you need to provide valid proof of ID and residence if asked to do so.
A copy of the Certificate of Incorporation is needed if you are working at a company.
The workload is plentiful as there are many implementations to the program that are happening simultaneously. We are here to assist you in all aspects of implementation. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you need any assistance.
Rules to Follow when Working with Us
We need to be compliant with the UK. The following program will now be implemented:
- Only the Creative Material from our program will be accepted. From now until any future changes occur.
- Each channel or source of traffic that is used needs to be made known and made UKGC compliant.
- All adverts must be approved by our team.
- All UK traffic sources must be disclosed to the Affiliate Program. This is done via the URL field.
