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The Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA) has partnered with the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) to develop a new certification program for eight major online betting operators in the United States.
The announcement came Sept. 2 in an official press release from ROGA at its headquarters in McLean, Virginia.
Fresh evaluation for 90% of U.S. online gambling industry
The certification program focuses on a structured, data-driven approach to evaluating regulated operators in the U.S. It will assess responsible gambling measures such as self-exclusion and player support tools.
The initiative comes just a few months after ROGA published new guidelines for VIP programs in May. Among other requirements, the guidelines mandate role-specific training for VIP hosts, manual and automated behavioral reviews, and prohibit promotions to players in cool-off periods. They also recommend integrating responsible gambling messaging into communications between VIP players and hosts.
All ROGA members will undergo evaluation based on the new certification program’s standards once it launches. The eight operators represent about 90% of the legal online betting market in the U.S.:
- Bet365
- Bally’s
- BetMGM
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- Hard Rock Digital
- Fanatics Betting and Gaming
- Penn Entertainment (operator of ESPN Bet and theScore Bet)
Some of these operators also hold licenses in Ontario, which has a regulated iGaming market. RGC, which has a mandate to evaluate and certify online betting operators in Ontario, will play a key role in overseeing the new framework.
Responsible gambling expertise backed by decades of experience
RGC, an independent nonprofit established in 1983, collaborates with online and land-based casino operators in Canada and internationally to promote safer gaming and prevent problem gambling, bringing over four decades of expertise to this initiative.
“A sustainable online gaming industry must be built on evidence-based best practices, and this partnership with RGC will advance this mission by building a trusted and independent assessment to certify robust responsible gaming standards,” said ROGA Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Shatley. She added that the program signals the industry’s commitment to long-term progress, enabling players to make informed decisions about the platforms they use.
RGC CEO Sarah McCarthy said:
“We are proud to work with ROGA in setting a new benchmark for responsible gambling in the online space. The certification program will build on years of evidence-based work and experience developing RG Check as a trusted standard. By working together, we are creating a more transparent, accountable, and player-focused industry.”
The RG Check accreditation for Canadian and international land-based and online operators now serves as the template for the U.S. certification, requiring evaluations and license renewals every three years.
Expanding responsible gambling resources through collaboration
This isn’t ROGA and RGC’s first collaboration—earlier this year, they partnered with Epic Global Solutions and Kindbridge Behavioral Health on the “Know Your Player” campaign targeting U.S. college students. They are now working to finalize and roll out the new certification framework in the coming months.
In addition, ROGA recently partnered with BetBlocker, a free and anonymous gambling-blocking software provider. Under the agreement, ROGA will prominently feature BetBlocker on its website, promote it across its channels, and work with its member operators to make the tool available to end users. This expands responsible gaming support by offering players a practical, accessible option to manage their play behavior.
As PlayUSA reported, this partnership “takes responsible gaming measures beyond what is typically required by states” and allows users to “plan ahead and schedule restrictions” during known high-risk periods like NFL games or March Madness.
