From February 2020, the trade association for all licensed bingo operators in Great Britain will initiate a test purchasing exercise to prove that its members conform to the highest industry standards of underage gambling prevention.
ACCS ensures that robust age check practices are followed by providers of age-restricted goods, content and services. This is achieved through a combination of robust processes, custom built technology and a team of fully qualified trading standards and audit professionals.
The Bingo Association recognised that ACCS had the experience, specialist resources and expertise in place to support its age verification testing strategy, making them an ideal partner. Furthermore, ACCS would be able to organise and deliver the tests while also providing advice, highlighting problem areas and creating tailored solutions.
Test Purchasers will visit each association member to check that its establishment complies with the relevant legislation while also assessing its due diligence and monitoring activities. The tests themselves will be undertaken in accordance with the internationally recognised standard ISO 17065:2012.
The test reports that will subsequently be compiled are recognised by the UK Gambling Commission and international regulators as evidence that all legal requirements have been met. The data that ACCS gathers as part of the tests will also help the Bingo Association to perform statistical analysis that pinpoints how its age verification processes can be further improved.
Tony Allen, founder and CEO of ACCS, said: “The Bingo Association knows that age-checking in gambling establishments has to be carefully considered and rigorously assessed - however they’re also aware that doing this properly requires a lot of specialist considerations and knowledge.
“Our extensive experience of age check verification processes and legislation made us the ideal partner, as we could help to prove that the Bingo Association’s members are meeting the very highest standards of underage gambling prevention.
“The testing and reporting that we’ve put in place will not only demonstrate the diligence of each venue, but it will also help to improve and refine the Bingo Association’s age checking procedures moving forward.”
Paul Swindon, Head of Governance & Compliance at the Bingo Association, said: “We are delighted to be working with Age Check Certification Scheme Ltd to manage the age verification scheme on behalf of The Bingo Association, to test whether our members operate an effective and robust AV system within their own businesses, in strict accordance with the provisions of the license conditions and codes of practise (LCCP).
“They also help us to achieve our wider obligation and social responsibility strategy to prevent underage gambling within the licensed Bingo industry. It is vitally important that our AV partner is independent, professionally qualified and completely impartial and ACCS quite literally ticks all the right boxes.”
About ACCS
Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS) ensures robust age check practices are followed by providers of age-restricted goods, content and services.
Through a combination of robust processes, custom built technology and a team of fully qualified trading standards and audit professionals, ACCS help businesses avoid heavy penalties and prosecutions. ACCS encompasses in-depth assessments that provide recommendations and guidance that enable organisations to achieve ‘best practice’, legally compliant, trading standards when selling age restricted products and services.
It’s market leading scheme delivers trusted, independent certification and validation of processes and employee awareness in accordance with the provisions of ISO 17065:2012. This ensures that retailers, service providers, entertainment organisations and proof-of-age providers are following the correct legal procedures at the point-of-sale, providing customers with continued reassurance that their business is fulfilling its obligations.
ACCS is also the auditor for the UK’s national Proof-of-Age Standards Scheme (PASS) and provide the UK’s only recognised training course for Advanced Practitioners in Age Restricted Sales Enforcement.
For further information, visit www.accscheme.com
