PlayOLG Customer Preview

TORONTO, Nov. 4, 2014 /CNW/ - Some Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) customers have been invited to preview and provide feedback on PlayOLG, OLG's upcoming Internet gaming site.

Eligible members of OLG's Winner's Circle Rewards program will participate in a short-term, soft launch of the new site before it becomes available to legal-aged Ontarians in the coming weeks.

OLG will join British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec and all of the Atlantic Provinces in offering a provincially regulated Internet gaming entertainment option. Currently, approximately 500,000 Ontarians spend an estimated $400 - $500 million annually on out-of-province, grey market sites which are not regulated in Ontario.

The preview will allow eligible customers to register, play games and fully experience PlayOLG. The site will include interactive casino-style games including slots and table games such as Blackjack, Baccarat and Roulette, as well as the ability to purchase LOTTO 6/49 and LOTTO MAX lottery tickets as well as ENCORE.

OLG's Responsible Gambling

Drawing on Canadian and global best practices, OLG's Internet gaming offering will include a gold standard of leading Responsible Gambling (RG) tools.

OLG's RG safeguards focus on prevention and mitigation and include player education on healthy playing habits and how to seek help and support for problem gamblers.

RG features include:

• No anonymous play
• Registration includes age and identify verifications
• 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
• Weekly deposit limits (mandatory)
• 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

PlayOLG operates in a regulated environment overseen by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

As a new line of business, PlayOLG will provide more money to the Government of Ontario for hospitals and other government priorities.

More information is available at PlayOLG.ca.  

NOTES TO MEDIA

1. PlayOLG Backgrounders – Facts and Responsible Gambling Features - attached.
2. A technical media briefing and PlayOLG demonstration will be offered to coincide with the customer preview period. A separate media advisory will be issued at that time.

OLG is a provincial agency responsible for province-wide lottery games and gaming facilities. Since 1975, OLG has provided nearly $40 billion to the Province and the people of Ontario. OLG's annual payments to the Province have helped support health care; education, research, prevention and treatment of problem gambling; amateur sport through the Quest for Gold program; and local and provincial charities.

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PlayOLG Backgrounder:
General Facts

General Facts

 PlayOLG will deliver a competitive and entertaining Internet gaming experience that is government-regulated, safe and responsible.

• Internet gaming already exists in Ontario and approximately 500,000 Ontarians spend an estimated $400 - $500 million each year on grey market gambling sites not regulated in Ontario.
• PlayOLG offers Ontarians a controlled, government-regulated alternative to grey market online gambling websites.
• Proceeds from OLG's Internet gaming remain in Ontario to support provincial priorities such as hospitals, education and community infrastructure.
• PlayOLG is estimated to deliver $375 million in additional profits to the Province of Ontario during its first five years in operation.
• With the launch of PlayOLG, Ontario joins British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec and all of the Atlantic Provinces in offering a provincially regulated internet gaming product.
• GTECH, a global leader of regulated iGaming services, is the primary service provider for PlayOLG.

Responsible Gambling Facts

• Drawing from best practices across Canada and the world, OLG has embedded Responsible Gambling and safe play mechanisms into all aspects of PlayOLG.
• OLG has implemented a gold standard of Responsible Gambling tools and features on PlayOLG.
• There is no anonymous play on PlayOLG. All players are registered and age and identity confirmed, all play is recorded and reports are available for customers to review their individual activity. Players will have access to their own individual data, consistent with privacy standards.
• The PlayOLG Internet experience provides a controlled environment with the ability to identify each player, maintain player data in a secure environment and allows players to track their own play.
• PlayOLG has measures in place to encourage healthy player behaviour, to respond to changes in play that may lead to risky gambling habits, and to provide information on where to seek help if needed, as well as to enable self-exclusion.
• PlayOLG features an extensive suite of play management tools that includes:
  • No anonymous play
  • Registration includes age and identify verifications
  • 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.
  • Weekly deposit limits (mandatory)
  • 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

• OLG takes a strong stand against underage gambling and the PlayOLG registration process includes age verification that will help prevent minors from registering an account.
• As is the case with other OLG gaming offerings, OLG's Internet gaming business operates in a regulated environment that is overseen by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

PlayOLG Products

Games at Launch:

• Variety of Slot Games
• Variety of Table Games such as :
  • Blackjack
  • Single-player Poker
  • Baccarat
  • Sic bo
  • Roulette
• Lottery Sales:
  • LOTTO MAX
  • LOTTO 6/49
  • ENCORE

Future Games:

• Online Poker (peer to peer)
• Bingo
• Sports Wagering

PlayOLG Responsible Gambling Backgrounder attached.

More information is available at PlayOLG.ca.  

PlayOLG Backgrounder:
Responsible Gambling Features

Ontario's first regulated Internet gaming site, PlayOLG is built with responsible gambling measures in place to encourage healthy player behaviour, to respond to changes in play that may lead to risky gambling habits, and to direct players to information on where to seek help, if needed.

PlayOLG provides a gold standard of Responsible Gambling tools and features. 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 responsible gambling best practices for PlayOLG.

Key Responsible Gambling features on PlayOLG:

1.    Limit Setting:

• PlayOLG features play management tools that may be used to set financial or time limits including:
  • Weekly deposit limits, which will be mandatory
  • Loss limits for casino games
  • Time limits for casino game play
  • Lottery purchase limits
• Should someone wish to decrease a self-imposed limit, the change will be made immediately.
• However, if a player wants to increase a limit, he or she will have to wait seven days for a cooling-off period. 

2.     Support Resources:

• OLG works towards adopting leading policies and practices that continuously improve Responsible Gambling.
• PlayOLG provides tools to help players assess their own gambling behaviour:
  • providing self-assessments tests
  • providing risk profile information
  • access to player's own personal full gambling account history

• Additionally, should an individual have concerns or say they are experiencing problems, OLG will suggest options that may include:
  • taking a break from playing
  • Self-Exclusion from PlayOLG
  • directing customers to free online or local gambling support resources

3.     Customized Responsible Gambling Messaging:

• PlayOLG continuously provides Responsible Gambling (RG) messages to all players.
• PlayOLG's data analytic technology assesses the level of play and customizes RG messages to each player:
  • New  players and Low Risk assessed players – continuous RG messaging
  • Medium Risk assessed players - 25% more RG messaging
  • High Risk assessed players – 50% more RG messaging

• OLG continually monitors and assesses all RG tools to help ensure RG programming meets the needs of all PlayOLG customers.

4.     Responsible Gambling Training:

• OLG continually works to help prevent and mitigate the effects of problem gambling.
• While OLG is not able to diagnose a gambling problem, a number of supports are provided to players who have concerns about their gambling behaviour. 
• Just as with other OLG lines of business, OLG works with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) to provide customer service employees with training that focuses on recognizing potential problem gambling red flags and making appropriate referrals to resources. 

5.     Underage Play:

• OLG takes underage gambling and age verification extremely seriously.
• A thorough registration process helps ensure that the player registering is actually who they say they are. Sophisticated tools are used to validate a player's identity, including their age.
• PlayOLG also contains a variety of information for parents to educate them about their responsibility to manage their OLG account in a secure way to prevent anyone else, including their children, from gaining access.
• This includes details about password protection, and how to use tools to restrict access to websites, and tips for monitoring their children's Internet access and usage.

OLG's Responsible Gambling program is recognized by the World Lottery Association with Level 4 accreditation, the highest level possible. OLG approaches every aspect of responsible gambling online with the same commitment to excellence that it has demonstrated in its other lines of business.

As is the case with other OLG gaming offerings, OLG's Internet gaming business operates in a regulated environment that is overseen by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

More information is available at PlayOLG.ca.  

SOURCE: OLG

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