PlayOLG Customer Preview Begins

TORONTO, Dec. 5, 2014 /CNW/ - A customer-focused preview of PlayOLG is underway for eligible members of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation's (OLG) Winner's Circle Rewards (WCR) program. 

The first 500 invitations have been issued to eligible WCR members who expressed interest in participating in this short-term preview. These players are now able to register, play games and fully experience PlayOLG prior to a province-wide launch in early 2015.

Invitations will be issued to 17,000 eligible WCR members in the coming days and weeks before PlayOLG becomes available to legal-aged Ontarians.

OLG's Internet gaming site includes interactive casino-style games including slots and table games such as Blackjack, Baccarat, Single-player Poker and Roulette, as well as the sale of LOTTO 6/49 and LOTTO MAX lottery tickets and ENCORE.  

With the launch of PlayOLG, OLG joins British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec and all of the Atlantic Provinces in offering provincially regulated, safe Internet gambling entertainment. 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.

OLG's Responsible Gambling

PlayOLG has embedded Responsible Gambling (RG) tools which draw on Canadian and global best practices after consulting broadly with a range of stakeholders, researchers and addiction specialists.

OLG's RG program continues to receive international recognition. The World Lottery Association (WLA) recently awarded OLG the WLA Best Overall Responsible Gambling Program Award. This award recognizes excellence in Responsible Gambling among more than 140 member organizations from around the world.

PlayOLG'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.

Play OLG's RG features include:

• No anonymous play
• Registration includes age and identity verifications
• Mandatory weekly deposit limits
• 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
• Tips for parents about password protection and how to monitor their children's Internet access and usage

PlayOLG is regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

Please visit PlayOLG.ca for more information

PlayOLG Fact Sheet, Responsible Gambling Features, and B-roll Video attached

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

• With the launch of PlayOLG, Ontario joins British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec and all of the Atlantic Provinces in offering provincially regulated Internet gaming entertainment.
• PlayOLG will deliver a competitive and entertaining 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 annually on out-of-province grey market gambling sites not regulated in Ontario.
• PlayOLG offers Ontarians a controlled, government-regulated alternative to grey market online gambling websites.
• OLG's Internet gaming proceeds 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.
• GTECH, a global leader of regulated Internet gaming services, is the primary service provider for PlayOLG.
• On November 4, 2014, OLG sent emails to a group of eligible members of OLG's Winner's Circle Reward loyalty program offering them an opportunity to take part in a customer-focused preview of PlayOLG.ca.
• On December 4, 2014, PlayOLG issued invitations to the first group of eligible OLG's Winner's Circle Reward members to register and play during a customer-focused preview of PlayOLG.ca.

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.
• 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.
• PlayOLG provides a controlled environment with the ability to identify each player, securely maintain player data and allow 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 identity verifications
  • Mandatory weekly deposit limits
  • 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
  • Tips for parents about password protection and how to monitor their children's Internet access and usage
• PlayOLG registration process includes identity and age verification.
• OLG's Responsible Gambling (RG) program continues to receive international recognition. The World Lottery Association (WLA) recently awarded OLG the WLA Best Overall Responsible Gambling Program Award. This award recognizes excellence in Responsible Gambling among more than 140 member organizations from around the world.
• 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).

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.  

(Disponible en français)

PlayOLG Backgrounder:
Responsible Gambling Features
And Play Management Tools

Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation's (OLG) Responsible Gambling (RG) program continues to receive international recognition. The World Lottery Association (WLA) recently awarded OLG the WLA Best Overall Responsible Gambling Program Award. This award recognizes excellence in Responsible Gambling among more than 140 member organizations from around the world.

As the only Internet gaming site regulated by the Ontario government, PlayOLG is built with RG measures in place to encourage healthy player behaviour, to respond to changes in play that may lead to risky gambling, and to direct players to information on where to seek help, if needed.

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 RG best practices for PlayOLG.

Key Responsible Gambling Features and Play Management Tools on PlayOLG:

1.     Limit Setting:

• PlayOLG features play management tools that may be used to set financial or time limits including:
  • Mandatory weekly deposit limits
  • 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:

• PlayOLG provides tools to help players assess their own gambling behaviour:
  • providing self-assessment tests
  • providing risk profile information
  • access to one's personal full gambling account history
• Additionally, should an individual have concerns or feel they are experiencing problems, PlayOLG 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 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 per cent more RG messaging
  • High Risk assessed players – 50 per cent 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 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 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, PlayOLG operates in a regulated environment that is overseen by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

More information is available at PlayOLG.ca.  

(Disponible en français)

PlayOLG Backgrounder:
Privacy and Security

PlayOLG will deliver a competitive and entertaining Internet gaming experience that is government-regulated, safe and responsible. At OLG, the integrity of our products, along with the privacy and security of our customers' personal information, is a priority.

As a government-regulated website, our customers' deposits and all winnings earned on PlayOLG are guaranteed unlike some grey market online gaming sites.

Regulated in Ontario:

• PlayOLG is regulated by the Government of Ontario through the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
• Each game on PlayOLG has been tested and approved by the AGCO to ensure game integrity.

No Anonymous Play:

• The PlayOLG gaming registration process provides a controlled environment with the ability to identify and age-verify each player.
• PlayOLG is only available to adults, one must be 18 or older to register and buy lottery tickets and 19 or older to play casino games.
• All customers have their information sent to Equifax for age and identity verification.
• A credit check is not part of this identity verification process.
• Once a PlayOLG account has been idle for a period of 10 minutes, the system will automatically log the account off to prevent any unauthorized access.
• Each player is able to track and monitor their own play.

Personal Data and Privacy:

• OLG protects personal information in accordance with Ontario's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), OLG's Privacy Policy and other applicable laws.
• PlayOLG has implemented technical and administrative controls to ensure that all personal information is protected in a manner consistent with provincial privacy standards.

Transactional Services:

• In addition to game play, all financial transactions on PlayOLG which includes deposits and withdrawals are logged. 
• Each customer has access to the full history of their PlayOLG account as a tool to keep informed about game play and make knowledgeable decisions.

PlayOLG Fact Sheet and Responsible Gambling Backgrounder attached.

More information is available at PlayOLG.ca.

(Disponible en français)

SOURCE: OLG

OLG MEDIA RELATIONS, 1-888-946-6716