TORONTO – Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s (OLG) Internet gaming website, PlayOLG.ca has received global recognition for its Responsible Gaming (RG) Program. PlayOLG has been certified with the RG Check certification, the most rigorous RG accreditation program in the world.

Administered by the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC), the RG Check accreditation program is based on an RG Index comprising a set of standards developed independent of the gaming industry. Informed by international best practices, this Index evaluates seven core standards: corporate policies, self-exclusion, advertising and promotion, informed decision making, assisting customers who may have problems with gambling, gaming environment and game features, and employee training.

PlayOLG launched to legal-aged Ontarians in January 2015 as the only Internet gaming site regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. PlayOLG is built with RG measures in place to encourage healthy player behaviour, to respond to changes in play that may lead to risky gambling and to direct players to information on where to seek help, if needed.

OLG consulted broadly with a range of stakeholders, researchers and addiction specialists in addition to reviewing available industry and academic research, to develop and implement RG best practices for PlayOLG.

PlayOLG’s Responsible Gambling

PlayOLG has embedded RG tools which draw on Canadian and global best practices after consulting broadly with a range of stakeholders, researchers and addiction specialists.

OLG’s RG program continues to receive international recognition. In 2015, the World Lottery Association (WLA) awarded OLG the WLA Best Overall Responsible Gambling Program Award. This award recognizes excellence in Responsible Gambling among more than 140 member organizations from around the world.

“PlayOLG’s RG safeguards and analytics offer a direct insight into the gambling habits or our customers,” said Paul Pellizzari, OLG’s Executive Director of Social Responsibility. “The RG features enable us to promote healthy playing habits and how to seek help and support for problem gamblers.”

PlayOLG’s RG features include:

• No anonymous play
• Registration includes age and identity verifications
• Mandatory weekly deposit limits
• Casino loss limits
• Time limits for casino game play
• Lottery ticket purchase limits
• Customized RG messaging based on play levels
• Seven day cooling-off period before increasing limits
• Player self-assessments and risk profiles
• Breaks from play on PlayOLG (one day to three months)
• Self-Exclusion
• Full account history available to every player
• Tips for parents about password protection, how to use tools to restrict access to websites, and how to monitor their children’s Internet access and usage

Please visit PlayOLG.ca for more information

OLG is a provincial agency responsible for gaming facilities, the sale of province-wide lottery games, the PlayOLG Internet gaming website and the delivery of bingo and other electronic gaming products at Charitable Gaming Centres across the province. Since 1975, OLG has provided nearly $42 billion to the Province and the people of Ontario. OLG’s annual payments to the province have helped support the operation of hospitals; prevention, treatment and research of problem gambling; amateur sport through the Quest for Gold program; and local and provincial charities. OLG was a Premier Sponsor of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am / Parapan Am Games.

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