Top tips from the experts: How to write great iGaming content within regulations

The casino industry continuously evolves.

And games of chance have seen plenty of changes to laws and regulations.

In fact, it wasn’t until the Gambling Act of 2005 that the Gambling Commission itself was established when both land-based and online casinos underwent a new licensing regime.

Changes were made to better safeguard people against the negative effects of gambling.

Since then, the Act has not been revised in depth.

Until recently…

Back in April 2023, the government released a white paper, outlining the responsibilities casino brands should take, with the aim to protect each gamer’s financial and mental wellbeing.

But as a casino brand, how you can ensure the content you’re producing fits within the possible new regulations?

Quality content is crucial for online casino brands. Not only can it help increase your rankings on the search engine results pages (SERPs) but it can also help you to stand out from the busy crowd that is the online gambling industry.

So, to ensure you’re enhancing your online presence whilst keeping your customers protected, we’ve reconsidered how to approach and market content for the sports betting and iGaming sector.

What we’ve always done – 6 easy ways to maintain casino content standards

At Receptional, we have a team of expert content writers.

When it comes to writing for the iGaming sector, we always make sure any gaming or betting content we produce highlights that these types of games are always down to chance.

There are many elements to be mindful of when writing online casino content, but here are 6 top tips:

1. Talking about strategy or skill

In the world of casino or sports betting, there is no such thing as skill or strategy.

The word strategy can be used in certain situations, such as when talking about gaming strategies like the ‘Martingale.’

But we’ve always made sure to reiterate that methods like this do not improve your chances of winning.

2. Luck

It’s easy to lean into the idea that games with no skill or strategy come down to luck.

Again, this is something we never mention as it is just a concept.

3. Over 18’s only

This might seem obvious, but our target audience is always in the forefront of our minds when producing casino content.

We will never say games are ‘available to everyone’, or ‘available all around the world.’ Nor will we mention children in any circumstance.

With this in mind, we also avoid speaking about current celebrities and other things that might appeal to those under the age restriction, where possible.

4. Mentioning alcohol

We never mention any sort of alcohol in our content as this can also become addictive and lead to losing track of time or money when gaming.

5. Don’t make gaming sound like an escape or problem solver

This point is key. We will never portray gambling as a way to improve your lifestyle or escape from reality.

6. Phrases to avoid

Avoid certain words and phrases that could give readers the wrong impression.

This includes describing gameplay as being ‘immersive’ and ‘gripping’.

Even ‘exciting’ or ‘boost your winning chances’ can be risky terminology to use, so we always steer away from these.

Why we never write about winning

Whilst the potential to win can be a great selling point for many games of chance – as content writers, we always reinforce that a win is never guaranteed in the copy we produce.

We always avoid talking about a player being able to increase their funds. We make sure to always remain factual, and approach the matter with phrases like ‘land a matching combination,’ when talking about Slots, for example.

You might think it’s impossible to market gaming without talking about winning, but by keeping in mind the new regulations, there are ways to talk about playing online whilst remaining non-biased and stating facts.

What we will do

With regulations potentially getting even tougher, and always with a close eye on the gaming industry, it’s our job to keep content engaging, whilst also remaining neutral and not condoning gambling.

In addition to the regulations we’re used to, there are plenty of marketing strategies that we can apply for iGaming brands without putting them, us, or consumers at risk.

By keeping in mind all the words, phrases, and recommendations we’re used to, we can delve deeper into the specifics.

We can change the way we talk about casino gaming, making sure we’re never referring to how this could make a player feel, and cautiously approaching certain features which are the selling point of the games.

Again – facts, facts, facts!

The types of articles we can write are changing as well.

Avoid pros and cons lists, or explaining specific games.

By doing this, we’re not promoting particular Slots, or talking about the positives of gaming. Instead, we’re remaining neutral at all times.

Even the images we use matter.

That’s right – when pairing a piece of gaming content with an image, we must be specific. The image cannot appeal to children in any way and must make it clear what the article is talking about.

Paid ads and PR campaigns will have to change too.

The white paper outlines the idea of adhering to a watershed on television adverts, and there’s no doubt online content will be reviewed too.

The major reform of gambling laws

The white paper, released on 27^th April 2023, states the major reform of gambling laws in the UK. The proposed laws are aimed at protecting vulnerable users in the digital age.

With a casino in our pockets 24 hours a day, gaming on our smartphones is more accessible than ever.

This could mean it’s time for a change.

Whilst gambling companies already have things in place to help prevent players from becoming addicted or losing large sums of money too quickly, the potential new UK laws will hold them accountable when they fail with this responsibility.

According to https://www.gov.uk/, these could include:

• A statutory gambling operator levy – Ensures that all betting companies pay their fair share towards treatment services and research, including through the NHS.

 

• New online stake limit – The default maximum of stakes for online games will be between £2 and £15 per spin, subject to consultation, to prevent life-changing losses. This is also in line with land-based casinos.

 

• Player protection checks – Checks will not affect gameplay, but will be undergone to protect those most at risk of harm.

 

• New powers for the Gambling Commission – The Gambling Commission will have greater power to tackle and block unlicensed black market gambling firms from operating in the UK.

 

• Restricting Bonus Offers – A closer look will be taken by the Gambling Commission at how bonus offers are created and where/whom they are targeted at to prevent them from being harmful to any vulnerable person.

 

• Horseracing levy – There will be a review of the current horserace betting levy to make sure certain racing continues to be funded appropriately for the future.

 

• Other measures – As well as all this, loopholes will be removed so those under 18s have no way of accessing any form of online gambling, cash prize fruit machines or scratch cards.

There will be a review of the fees that local authorities can charge for premise licences, as well as of online game resign rules to limit the speed of gameplay and other characteristics which could present risk.

We know, there’s a lot to consider…

With so much to consider when talking about or marketing gambling, it can feel as though there’s no scope for creativity.

This isn’t the case.

By being mindful of all the regulations – new and old – you can market gaming with words and phrases to help you say what you need to, without promoting or condoning gambling.

We’re never asking anyone to spend money, or telling them they have to play – we’re simply delivering facts in a fun and creative way!

After all, gaming can be fun for the majority of people who play. But, it’s our job to protect our clients and their consumers, and make sure we’re being considerate with everything we say.

 

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