The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) has today published its Annual Report for 2022-23, detailing the advancements in RG made across Canada.

Over the last year, the non-profit organization has bolstered its presence in the RG space with several key partnerships and new ventures.

The RGC’s public service announcement about the risks of igaming and sports betting – broadcast on networks throughout Canada in collaboration with thinktv – was a particularly powerful event, garnering over 100 million impressions.

Meanwhile, the launch of the regulated Ontario igaming market in March 2022 saw the Toronto-based organization utilize RG Check – ‘the most comprehensive responsible gambling accreditation program in the world’ – to conduct the first round of accreditations with 17 of Ontario’s newly licensed igaming operators.

Then, in February, the RGC released its Super Bowl survey, where it gathered insights into Ontarian’s plans to watch and bet on the NFL’s showpiece event, finding that 49% were indeed planning to bet on it.

This provided the RGC and industry operators with valuable insights into the strengths of the operators’ RG strategies and programs, enabling them to identify where improvements were needed to optimize consumer protection.

The NPO also conducted its second EDI survey in 2022-23, calling on the assistance of Diversio, with the RGC Board and employees achieving ‘excellent’ improvements in its inclusion scores.

Addressing stakeholders on publication of the report, CEO Shelley White said: “We are grateful to all those we collaborate with either through research, training, our RG Check accreditation program, or our prevention education programs. We would also like to thank our Board of Directors and staff for their deep commitment to our vision ‘A world where gambling never comes at a human cost’ and their ongoing efforts to our prevention initiatives.

“RGC will continue to be a bold, courageous and a transparent RG leader within Ontario, Canada and globally. We are encouraged to see the advancements in RG, and the industry’s expanding commitment. We will leverage this momentum to continue to work with key stakeholders to build a more robust RG culture, in each of the jurisdictions that we serve.

“We look forward to what the future brings for our organization, and to working together with all of you to continue to make an impactful difference in the lives of individuals, their families, and our communities.”

Other highlights listed by the RGC include, as a result of its PlaySmart Centre partnership with OLG, connecting with over 65,000 visitors through educational events and providing support to over 5,000 people.