Responsible Gaming Council (RGC) has announced it will launch an international accreditation programme to assess the gambling safeguards of online operators.

The programme, dubbed RG Check – Internet, gives gambling websites the chance to have their responsible gambling protections evaluated voluntarily, confidentially and according to independent and evidence-based standards.

Jon Kelly, CEO of the RGC, said: “RGC set out to create the gold standard of consumer protection. The RGC programme, based on seven standards and 51 criteria, gives internet gambling providers the opportunity to have their responsible gambling safeguards assessed against comprehensive international standards and a rigorous accreditation process.”

The six-month process of earning an RG Check accreditation concludes with an independent assessment by a panel of experts and is reviewed annually.

The programme is adapted from the RG Check – Venue programme which has accredited 60 venues since its launch in 2011 and has been “highly successful”, according to the RGC.

The standards for RG Check – Internet were developed by the RGC, who will deliver the programme in Canada. Internationally it will be administered by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and member firms of the PwC network, although final accreditation decisions will remain with the RGC.

Darren Henderson, national technology and communications consultant & deals leader at PwC, said: “We are proud to be part of RG Check – Internet and are excited to assist the RGC with assessing websites against these stringent new standards.

“We are advocates of responsible gambling and look forward to working with RGC on initiatives that support their mandate.”