The Online Gamblers Bill of Rights - The Best Online Casino Guide Blog
Gambling on the internet is now a multi billion dollar industry, with a proliferation of 1000’s of different Casinos, Poker Rooms, Sportsbooks and Bingo Rooms from which gamblers can choose. Along with the enormous growth comes responsibility. This responsibility runs two ways. It is the duty of the Casino owners to provide the safest, most honest and most enjoyable experience possible for the customer. It is also the duty of the each and every gambler to make every effort to find the safest, most honest and most enjoyable place to gamble online. With this in mind, http://www.thebestcasinoguide.com/ has created the Online Gamblers Bill of Rights. It should be noted that this document is intended to cover the relationship between gambling establishments and their customers. The rights of gamblers to legally gamble and their legal rights are covered extensively on this website and we will continue to do so with great vigor.
THE ONLINE GAMBLERS BILL OF RIGHTS:
It is to be the desire, duty and obligation of every online gambling establishment to provide certain inalienable rights to their customers. These rights should aspire to achieve the highest level of honor and integrity as they are for the benefit of both customer and establishment alike. These rights are as follows:
1. LICENSING AND OWNERSHIP:
Every online gambling establishment will be licensed by a legitimate gambling jurisdiction and / or government agency. This information will be clearly posted on the establishment’s website and available to all customers upon request. It is also desireable, although not mandatory, that establishments seek membership with a legitimate oversight organization that exists to monitor the intergrity of online gambling establishments. Every online gambling establishment will also provide clear information about their ownership, business address, licensing and contact information. No attempt will be made to hide this information or to interfere with the public’s access to this information. Owners, management and rank and file employees of all gambling establishments will conduct themselves in an honest and ethical manner at all times.
2. CUSTOMER PRIVACY
Every step will be taken by all online gambling establishments to protect their customer’s identity and privacy. There will be no sale or sharing of customer data and information with any outside party. All incoming and outgoing online communications between establishments and customers shall be done in a secure manner using certified internet technologies. Personal and financial data will be encrypted and stored in a private, secure manner and transmission of this data will be, at all times, by secure and encrypted, methods. All email signups will follow legal, opt-in email guidelines and customers will not be subjected to unwanted spam. Customers be provided with the means to remove themselves from any email or mailing list. Removal from lists will be available through the establishment’s website or in writing and this will be done in a prompt, timely fashion.
3. PROPER MANAGEMENT AND PROCESSING OF CUSTOMER FUNDS
Every online gambling establishment will provide their customers with easy and secure means to deposit and withdraw their funds. This will be done in a timely manner, by institutions that are regulated members of the legitimate financial industry and without hidden or excessive fees. Online gambling establishments will endevor to provide a wide variety of means of deposit and withdrawal. They will keep and maintain proper records of all financial transactions and records of these transactions will be available to the customer, without charge and in a timely manner. These records will be available for audit, upon request, by any appropriate agency, within the terms and laws governing the establishment’s license. All establishments will maintain proper funds to be able to promptly make all anticipated payments to their customers. In the event that an establishment is not able to meet a financial obligation, they will immediately inform their licensing jurisdiction and / or government agency and take appropriate steps, within the rules of those agencies, to deal with the situation. Every online gambling establishment will follow strict procedures against illegal money laundering.
4. CUSTOMER SUPPORT
Every online gambling establishment will provide full, easily acessible customer support to all their customers and this will be done in a prompt and polite manner. Support will be provided without charge or penalty. No customer will have their account sanctioned or closed for filing a support request. Support will be available 24/7 by free toll free telephone, direct telephone, email, postal mail, fax and, technology permitting, live chat. The establishment will state, in advance, what languages are accepted for customer support and when possible, provide support in the same language as the customer’s support request. Establishments will always communicate with customers in a clear and polite manner and, at the same time, customers are expected to deal with support personel in the same polite and appropriate way.
5. DISPUTE RESOLUTION
In the event of an unresolvable dispute between an online gambling establishment and a customer, the dispute will be submitted to the licensing agency for resolution. This will be done promptly and the customer will be kept informed, with documentation, of the resolution process. The establishment will not unfairly penalize the customer for the dispute and efforts will be made to allow the customer to continue doing business with the establishment if the customer so desires, unless legal or banking requirements dictate otherwise. No threats will be made against the customer during a dispute and no unfair or dishonest credit or debt reports will be filed by an establishment as the result of a dispute or its resolution.
6. PROTECTION FROM CHEATING AND MANIPULATION OF GAMES
Every online gambling establishment will maintain the strictest standards to protect the customer from cheating. No establishment will provide any information on a customer’s game play or gambling activities to another customer to facilitate an advantage or for any purpose what so ever. They will use secure software for their games that is designed and provided by reputable, established companies within the gambling industry. This software will not provide any unsupervised, inappropriate access to the games before, during or after play for any purpose that is intended to manipulate the results. Likewise, the designers of the software will not create known or unknown backdoors into their software. The software will have easily understood installation instructions and will not install any hidden applications to the customer’s computer or in anyway provide hidden, unwanted access to the customer’s system. Any added helper applications, for example Yahoo Toolbar or Windows Media Player, will not be automatically installed and the user will have a clear and visable option to not have these additional applications installed.
7. FUN GAMES, FREE TO PLAY GAMES, BONUSES, TOURNAMENTS AND PROMOTIONS
Every online gambling establishment will make all reasonable efforts to provide a variety of fun and exciting gambling games for their customers. Games should be available for download and also for instant play, whenever possible. Customers should be offered exciting signup bonuses and interesting, regular promotions as well a regular tournaments. Proper records will be maintained for all bonus programs and these records will be available to the customer. Establishments will clearly list any and all terms, restrictions and payment penalties on bonus programs in advance as part of the promtional material for these programs and on their websites. Establishments should also offer their customers the option to play for free with play money, to facilitate learning and familiarity with the games before the customers risks real money.
8. FAIR ODDS
Every online gambling establishment shall follow the regulations concerning payouts and odds in accordance with the regulatory agency that licenses the establishment. The odds available for any game in an establishment will be documentated and available to any customer upon request as well as available on the establishment’s website. They will avoid and and all deceptive odds or hidden payout fees. Advertising by an establishment will not falsely represent the odds in anyway. The games will not be altered in any way to chance payouts to the benefit of the house in an illegal or deceptive manner. Customers have every right to expect that payouts on winning bets will follow these established guidelines at all times without exception.
9. HONEST ADVERTISING
Customers have the right to expect that establishments will be truthful in their adverising at all times. Establishments will avoid deceptive or misleading advertisements. At no time, will customers be subjected to unsolicted advertising in any way that violates their privacy or previous, legal opt-in email standards. Establishments will not advertise for tournaments, prizes or promotions that are non-existant and will immeadiately notify customers of any changes or cancellation of any tournaments, prizes or promotions. Payments for these will be made as advertised and promptly.
10. NO MINORS WILL BE ALLOWED TO GAMBLE
No online gambling establishment will ever let a minor, or someone under the age for their licensing jurisdiction, gamble at their establishment. All steps will be taken, within the guidelines established for customer privacy, to ascertain that the customer is of legal age. Documentaion of legal age will be required by all establishments in order to open an account with an establishment. While it is not required, it would be desireable for establishments that reject an underaged account application to send the applicant detailed documentation as to why the application was rejected and include information for problem gamblers in the documentation.
11. INFORMATION TO ASSIST PROBLEM GAMBLERS
Every online gambling establishment will provide detailed information on their website and in writing, upon request, for gambling problems or gambling addiction. Efforts will be made to monitor accounts for signs of compulsive or problem gambling and to make information on assistance available to these customers, as well. The website and information should include educational material on problem or addictive gambling, a description of the kinds of help available and links to these resources. There should also be information and resources available for family members and friends of problem or addictive gamblers. No information wil ever include promotion or advertising material for the gambling establishment. The privacy of anyone seeking this information will be of the highest priority and the website will display information to this effect.
http://www.thebestcasinoguide.com/ has provided for you, our users and members, a basic Online Gamblers Bill of Rights. It is not to be taken as the absolute, final word on the subject. We welcome further input from all of our users and members to help expand and / or correct this document. Only with your input will it be possible to construct a complete Online Gamblers Bill of Rights. Post your thoughts, comments, corrections or additions on the website and make your ideas part of this important document. As always, remember to gamble for fun and within your limits. May all your bets be winners.
