Remote Gambling Association (RGA)
- Founded
- 2014-01-01 in London, United Kingdom
- Headquarters
- High Holborn House, London, WC1V 6RL, United Kingdom
The Remote Gambling Association (RGA) was the largest global trade association representing the online gambling industry, operational from August 2014 until its dissolution into the Betting and Gaming Council in July 2019. Formed through the merger of the Interactive Gaming, Gambling and Betting Association and the Association of Remote Gambling Operators, the RGA provided a unified voice for licensed online gambling operators and software suppliers. Its membership included industry giants such as William Hill, Ladbrokes, PartyGaming, 888, Victor Chandler, and key software developers like Microgaming, Cryptologic, and Playtech. Headquartered in London, the organisation worked closely with the UK Gambling Commission and regulators across Europe. The RGA promoted responsible gambling and high integrity standards, and founded the National Online Self-Exclusion Scheme, which launched the Gamstop self-exclusion programme and the Gamban website-blocking tool. The RGA’s legacy continues through the Betting and Gaming Council, which assumed its policy functions.
Detailed Review
History and Formation
The Remote Gambling Association (RGA) became operational on 1 August 2014, following the merger of two predecessor organisations: the Interactive Gaming, Gambling and Betting Association (IGGBA) and the Association of Remote Gambling Operators (ARGO). The RGA was based in London and Brussels and served as the primary trade body for the world’s largest licensed online gambling operators and their software suppliers. Its creation aimed to provide the remote gambling industry with a single, authoritative voice on issues critical to regulators, legislators, and other key stakeholders.
Membership and Code of Conduct
Full membership was available to remote gambling operators licensed within the European Economic Area, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man. Affiliate membership was offered to organisations that did not meet full membership criteria. Members were required to adhere to a code of conduct addressing underage gambling prevention, player protection, ethical advertising, and social responsibility. The RGA organised events such as “Responsible Gambling Awareness Day” and published industry news through periodicals and books.
Advocacy and Legal Action
The RGA actively negotiated on behalf of the industry with trade unions, employer organisations, media, and government bodies. Notably, it filed a complaint under the European Union’s Trade Barriers Regulation against the United States Department of Justice, challenging the UIGEA as discriminatory and a violation of international law. The association also provided legal advice to members regarding their right to provide cross-border remote gambling services.
Key Initiatives – Self-Exclusion and Gambling Harm Reduction
The RGA founded the National Online Self-Exclusion Scheme (NOSES), which launched Gamstop in 2018. Gamstop allowed players to self-exclude from all UK Gambling Commission-licensed gambling websites for a chosen period. The RGA also ran Gamban, a gambling website blocker. In September 2019, ownership of Gamstop transferred to an independent entity, signalling the winding down of the RGA. The association itself ceased operations in July 2019, when its functions were absorbed by the newly formed Betting and Gaming Council (BGC).
Legacy
The RGA’s policy archives are now maintained by the BGC and are available through safergamblinguk.org. Its work laid the foundation for the UK’s current approach to industry-wide responsible gambling commitments.
Key Products
Gamban
A software tool designed to block access to online gambling websites, also launched in 2018 and originally run by the RGA.
National Online Self-Exclusion Scheme (NOSES)
The legal entity established by the RGA to operate Gamstop, forming the foundation for the UK's online self-exclusion system.
Code of Conduct
A compliance framework for RGA members covering responsible advertising, underage gambling prevention, and player protection.
Responsible Gambling Awareness Day
An annual industry event organised by the RGA to promote responsible gambling practices and awareness.
Gamstop
A national online self-exclusion programme that allows players to ban themselves from all UK Gambling Commission-licensed gambling websites for a chosen period, launched in 2018.
Key Persons
Notable past members
- Pierre Tournier — Director of Government Relations