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Almost half the lotteries in the US have completed this program, which requires a letter of interest as the first step to be selected for the next round of assessments. For more information, please contact Amanda Quintana at NCPG AmandaQ@ncpgambling.org or Andrew White at NASPL AWhite@nasplhq.org.
This standards and verification program was created in order to help lotteries plan and implement effective responsible gambling in all aspects of their operations, and recognize those that do it well. An additional goal of the program is to educate lottery executives, employees and the public about responsible gambling measures that are possible within lottery operations as well as the spectrum of problem gambling behavior and treatment.
Recognizing that some lotteries have a larger staff or perhaps have been involved in responsible gambling longer, the program offers three different levels and uses a process improvement model. For lotteries that have completed a WLA certification, this program offers a Parallel Verification Process (PVP) that greatly reduces duplicative effort. Each level facilitates access to national experts in the field.
The Planning Level is for lotteries that want to establish a responsible gambling program but haven’t felt like they had the expertise to do so. Lottery staff provide documentation on their current or planned programs to NCPG, which engages outside assessors. These experts review the documents and provide detailed responses, offering professional advice based on research and best practices in use by other US and even international lottery operators.
The Implementation Level is for lotteries that already have a responsible gambling program. The process is similar: they submit documents on their current and planned RG operations and NCPG engages expert outside assessors, who provide detailed responses on whether the program meets specific criteria and how these existing plans could be stronger.
The Sustaining Level is for lotteries that have completed the Implementation level and want to make their programs even stronger, taking them to the highest leadership level.
In addition to this technical assistance, the program gives public recognition to those lotteries that have created solid programs for RG and effectively implemented them.
Applicants are assessed on their demonstrated competence in the following areas:
–Overall planning
–Employee training
–Retailer training
–Public education and awareness
–Product oversight
–Research
–Advertising
–Resources
Please see the program guidelines for detailed information.
NASPL Insights Magazine October 2016 article provides further description of the program: insights-oct-2016-issue-rgv-article
The Parallel Verification Process (PVP) recognizes the World Lottery Association certification. US lotteries who receive WLA Level 3 and 4 certifications are able to apply for RGV recognition. The following lotteries have active RGV recognition through PVP:
*The North American State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) and the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) launched this responsible gambling verification program in 2016. It is currently available only to NASPL members in North America.