Officials with the leading trade association in the online gaming industry and a new content-labeling system aimed at protecting minors from accessing adult-related material cemented their relationship last week.
The Interactive Gaming Council will now be recommending that its members use the Internet Content Rating Association's system.
With the IGC in its corner, ICRA has the largest trade organization in Internet gambling labeling its sites. The key for the ICRA system to work effectively is to have as many sites as possible on board.
The ICRA labeling system allows parents to review a Web site and block their child’s access if the content of that site is unsuitable. It also allows operators to put a filter on their site that that will block all access from minors.
Mary Lou Kenny, director of ICRA North America, said having the IGC join its list of e-commerce trade groups adds credence to the I-gaming industry's efforts to self-regulate.
"We hope that we will get support within the industry beyond the IGC, but the IGC is the key to our success," she said.
The timing of the announcement coincided with a warning from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to consumers that it is too easy for minors to access online gaming sites. Kenny said the ICRA system is a perfect response mechanism.
"I think the online gaming industry's work with ICRA is a good answer to that," she said. "We are so thrilled that the IGC took up the ICRA label because any time the leaders in any industry adopt a policy like that it really validates the whole process."
The ICRA system makes it easy for companies to show they can effectively regulate themselves without government agencies forcing their standards on them, said Cathleen Wasilewski, director of public policy in the United States for Cable and Wireless, a global telecommunications company with many interactive gaming customers.
Rick Smith, executive director of the IGC, said the announcement came a couple of months after Kenny and others with ICRA first contacted the IGC. There was little opposition from anyone in the IGC to adopt the system.
"Nobody benefits if children participate in Internet gaming, and the IGC will continue to work hard at assuring its members take every precaution to restrict Internet gambling from children," he said.
Smith agreed that the ICRA system is a valuable tool the industry can take to legislatures and regulators to show that self-regulation is possible.
"The IGC will continue to communicate with governments, legislators, operators and others to develop and implement effective control measures for the industry," he said. "ICRA labeling is a logical and effective means to accomplishing our goal of keeping children away from Internet gaming Web sites."
Wasilewski said Cable and Wireless also adopted the ICRA system and is encouraging other sites to institute it.
"We wanted to ensure there was a system to protect consumers but also protect businesses," she said. "It is still pretty new, but I think it is growing and the word is getting out."
The IGC Board of Directors voted in support of the initiative and is encouraging Internet gaming sites to consider and ultimately adopt the ICRA labeling system. The IGC sees adoption of these initiatives as a means of establishing fair and responsible trade guidelines and practices. These initiatives will enhance consumer confidence in online gaming.
Kelly said ICRA would continue to look at gaming sites to get them aboard. She said now that the IGC is leading the way, additional gaming sites would probably follow.
"We are very pleased with the progress we have made so far and are thankful to the IGC for its leadership," she said.