ESG - Why You Need to Act Now
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Why Apply?
The Ethical Gambling Forum has established itself as the home for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and the gambling industry since 2021 and continues to expand into this business imperative. The Environmental, Social & Governance Award, launched this year, aims to celebrate your personal or organisational achievements under the ESG umbrella, within the gambling industry. It looks to focus on both the specific achievements in each of the three categories as well as the more far-reaching goal of celebrating efforts that go beyond mere compliance, including truly innovative and impactful initiatives. This offers a comprehensive reflection of the dual nature of an organisation investing in ESG as its overall ethos. Tell us about your projects or initiatives to promote either an Environmental, a Social Impact or a Governance topic and if they meet one of our criteria you will receive the ESG Award as detailed below. |
Each company will receive the ESG Award which adds value in reputational terms and in the eyes of future investors. As well as receiving your award, as applicable, you will receive a digital badge which you can use on your social media profiles and e-mail signature to celebrate your award and gain kudos from your colleagues, regulators and the industry at large. You’ll also get full feedback on when you’re outstanding as well as advice on how and where you can look for future ESG improvements. We will also recognise the individuals involved the award process. The judging panel for the ESG Award is drawn from a range of experts in the field of ESG at the Ethical Gambling Forum. Using their ESG Accreditation Standards, all applications will be evaluated against these to ensure a fair and open judging process for each application received.
For all levels the judging panel will be looking for:
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MERIT Cost: £250
Duration: 1 Year In Person: 1 meeting
Submission Type: Written or PPT + Interview Areas Covered: One from E, S or G Individual(s) or Company: Both Certification: Yes Trophy: No Guided Learning Time: 10 hours |
DISTINCTION Cost: £1000
Duration: 1 Year In Person: 2 meetings
Submission Type: Written, PPT and 2 Interviews Areas Covered: Two from E, S & G and Materiality Individual(s) or Company: Both Certification: Yes Trophy: No Guided Learning Time: 15 hours |
MASTER Cost: £5000
Duration: 2 Years In Person: 4 meetings
Submission Type: Designed report showing all areas of ESG Areas Covered: Whole ESG submission and Materiality Individual(s) or Company: Both Certification: Yes Trophy: Yes Guided Learning Time: 25 hours |
Application Criteria
Environmental Criteria
- Climate change – an overarching concern for organisations with regard to how they impact directly or indirectly and about which there may be a pledge or policy as well as evidence of how targets have been identified
- Carbon emissions – the need to measure the overall output from the organisation and its suppliers/customers as well as demonstrate outcomes across the organisation
- Energy use – a direct consideration with regard to buildings, website hosting, development costs and usage, including how cost and use reductions can be achieved
- Renewable energy – an organisation may analyse the need to switch to greener energy suppliers, adopt solar panels or heat pumps for heating, lighting and general energy consumption
- Pollution –an opportunity to champion a cause in a specific geography or location and to report on identifying successful implementations to reduce pollution
- Natural resource conservation – an opportunity to consider a regional product or usage and report on its success
- Carbon footprint & sustainable energy solutions need to be identified and evaluated across the organisation
- Resource consumption & waste, recycling and green initiatives within the organisation should be measured and analysed
- Water, electricity, and food conservation must be identified and evaluated
Social Impact Criteria
- Human capital - personal attributes considered useful in the production process. It encompasses employee knowledge, skills, know-how, good health, and education
- Health & safety – required by law in all organisations, including relevant staff training
- Supply chain labour standards – ensuring that organisations involved in any aspect of business meet designated ISO standards or equivalent
- Training – investment in staff training should be both knowledge and skills related, ensuring that staff development is a core principle of social impact
- Leadership development programmes - providing ethical and responsible leadership training, encouraging experiential methods and incorporating wellbeing and DE&I into day-to-day management.
- Social capital (data privacy and usage) – ensuring that any data collected from staff is subject to clear regulations and privacy laws
- Product quality and safety – ensuring that new games or equivalent are appropriately created with regard to content, cost and risk in terms of player safety
- Ethics, supplier relationships – only working with organisations who meet ethical standards e.g. B Corps, and after due diligence
- Local & global community support – ensuring that an organisation and its staff is recognised locally and globally by reputation and the interaction it has with those communities. Supporting local charitable projects both financially and with people resources (e.g. volunteer days). Also philanthropic work.
- Specific support of charities/charitable projects supporting the families of problem gamblers (excluding existing RET funding required by regulators)
- Responsible gaming (including player protection, support for at-risk customers, ethical marketing).
- Discrimination; diversity, equity, inclusion – a demonstrable commitment to adhering to the nine protected characteristics by UK law in both spirit and action
- Implementing a values-based recruitment strategy
- Wellbeing initiatives for colleagues and/or the local community
- Working conditions – ensuring that staff are treated fairly and with respect in terms of working hours, holidays, paid leave, flexible working and all other appropriate measures
- Family values – commitment to building familial relationships with all staff at all levels across the organisation so that a positive and supportive feeling is at the heart of the company and is recognised by staff members.
Governance Criteria
- Corporate responsibility - the impact an organisation makes on society and the environment; how this contributes positively to all stakeholders as well as adding value for the organisation itself, and ensuring it operates in a sustainable way.
- Player protection & safer gambling initiatives and training across the organisation
- Anti-corruption measures – ensuring the organisation has policies and structures in place which ensure transparency in business, as well as mitigating against all aspects of financial crime by individuals, employees or other organisations
- AML/PF/CTF training and increased awareness across the organisation
- Executive pay – ensuring that salary is set at a level which is both fair and appropriate across the organisation, avoiding any aspects of discrimination previously mentioned.
- Remuneration - the pay or other financial compensation provided in exchange for an employee's services performed.
- Audits – ensuring that all aspects of the business are audited on an annual basis, including legal, financial and, where necessary, ethical. This would include: inspection or examination, of a process or quality system, to ensure compliance to requirements.
- Shareholder rights – these generally include: voting power; ownership; the right to transfer ownership; dividends; the right to inspect corporate documents; the right to sue for wrongful acts.
- Transparency – this should include how a company is perceived externally in terms of being observable by others across all of its business
- Avoidance of conflict of interests – ensuring that board members, executives and other staff have allegiance only to the business and are not involved formally or informally in any competitive organisations
- Political independence – free form local or global influence, money or power, able to think and act independently of these issues
- Board level oversight – this suggests that board members have a responsibility and a right to inquire if the business management is reasonable, and whether the board has received sufficient and accurate information from management to make that determination
- Accountability – a recognition that those in management ultimately have responsibility for decisions taken and events occurring, including profit, loss, share price, reputational gain or loss, and organisational worth. It suggests also that actions would be taken in response to these occurrences.
MATERIALITY
What is a materiality analysis? A materiality analysis is a process that enables a business to identify their most important areas to focus on so that they can be highlighted as a priority, as well as to understand which are of most concern to stakeholders and how they impact the business model (and vice versa). The materiality assessment approach is widely used internationally to identify priority ESG topics. This method is beneficial not only because it allows sustainability impacts to be identified and managed, but also because research shows that a focus on the most material issues is positively correlated with the largest increase in financial performance.
Methodology/Process
Ethical Gambling Forum receives application and confirms details with applicant before proceeding to final confirmation and payment.
Ethical Gambling Forum sends reporting framework for how to send in an application. This would include the following:
This will be done with a written submission for each level of 500 - 2000 words, depending on the level. The questions will be stepped accordingly in line with levels, looking for greater detail and complexity at each level.
Data and statistics will feature and we suggest that PPT/Deck be used for illustrative purposes at each level, from 5 - 20 slides again on a sliding scale.
Ethical Gambling Forum will appoint a member of staff to complete an interview with the applicant (s) lasting between 30 and 60 minutes where topics can be explored and discussed. This will only happen when the previous sections have been completed.
Ethical Gambling Forum member of staff to review all sections and offer pass or resubmit. The latter will come with an additional administration cost.
If successful, ESG Award certificate will be conferred by Ethical Gambling Forum.
Merit
General guidance of requirements – e.g. 10 hours to prepare for this award.
(Written) - In 500 words explain the key aspects of your project/plan including how it meets the criteria listed above for Environmental, Social Impact and Governance. You should focus on how it has been delivered and by whom. Try to give details of each stage of the process from planning to final delivery. (Marks out of 10)
(PowerPoint Presentation) - Using between 5 and 10 slides only, show how the project has had a positive impact on your organisation. Use both qualitative and quantitative data as appropriate. (Marks out of 10)
(Interview) - In person or on video link, discuss with your Ethical Gambling Forum appointed examiner, how you and your colleagues have brought excellence to the delivery of the project. (Marks out of 10)
Distinction
General guidance of requirements – e.g. 15 hours to prepare for this award.
(Written) - In 1000 words explain the key aspects of your project/plan including how it meets the criteria listed above for each category of Environmental, Social Impact and Governance. You should focus on how it has been delivered in each category and by whom. Try to give details of each stage of the process from planning to final delivery. (Marks out of 10)
(PowerPoint Presentation) - Using between 10 and 15 slides only, show how each area of the ESG the project has had a positive impact on your organisation. Consider people, planet, prosperity and governance as your key areas. Use both qualitative and quantitative data as appropriate. (Marks out of 10)
(Interview) - In person or on video link, discuss with your Ethical Gambling Forum appointed examiner, how you and your colleagues have brought excellence to each area of ESG in the delivery of the project. (Marks out of 10)
Excellence/Master
General guidance of requirements – e.g. 25 hours to prepare for this award.
(Written) - In 2000 words explain the key aspects of your project/plan including how it meets all of the appropriate criteria listed above for Environmental, Social Impact and Governance. You should focus on how the overarching strategy has been delivered and by whom. Try to give details of each stage of the process from planning to final delivery. (Marks out of 10)
(PowerPoint Presentation) - Using up to 20 slides only, show how the project has had a positive impact on your organisation with regard to people, planet, prosperity and governance, as well as cultural changes, ethical leadership and external feedback. Use both qualitative and quantitative data as appropriate. (Marks out of 10)
(Interview) - In person or on video link, discuss with your Ethical Gambling Forum appointed examiner, how you and your colleagues have brought excellence to the overall delivery of ESG in your organisation. What could have been improved and what does your materiality survey suggest that you need to concentrate on in the next two years? (Marks out of 10)
Ethical Gambling Forum receives application and confirms details with applicant before proceeding to final confirmation and payment.
Ethical Gambling Forum sends reporting framework for how to send in an application. This would include the following:
- Explanation of the project and to which criteria it relates
- Impact of the initiative and how you plan to measure its success
This will be done with a written submission for each level of 500 - 2000 words, depending on the level. The questions will be stepped accordingly in line with levels, looking for greater detail and complexity at each level.
Data and statistics will feature and we suggest that PPT/Deck be used for illustrative purposes at each level, from 5 - 20 slides again on a sliding scale.
Ethical Gambling Forum will appoint a member of staff to complete an interview with the applicant (s) lasting between 30 and 60 minutes where topics can be explored and discussed. This will only happen when the previous sections have been completed.
Ethical Gambling Forum member of staff to review all sections and offer pass or resubmit. The latter will come with an additional administration cost.
If successful, ESG Award certificate will be conferred by Ethical Gambling Forum.
Merit
General guidance of requirements – e.g. 10 hours to prepare for this award.
(Written) - In 500 words explain the key aspects of your project/plan including how it meets the criteria listed above for Environmental, Social Impact and Governance. You should focus on how it has been delivered and by whom. Try to give details of each stage of the process from planning to final delivery. (Marks out of 10)
(PowerPoint Presentation) - Using between 5 and 10 slides only, show how the project has had a positive impact on your organisation. Use both qualitative and quantitative data as appropriate. (Marks out of 10)
(Interview) - In person or on video link, discuss with your Ethical Gambling Forum appointed examiner, how you and your colleagues have brought excellence to the delivery of the project. (Marks out of 10)
Distinction
General guidance of requirements – e.g. 15 hours to prepare for this award.
(Written) - In 1000 words explain the key aspects of your project/plan including how it meets the criteria listed above for each category of Environmental, Social Impact and Governance. You should focus on how it has been delivered in each category and by whom. Try to give details of each stage of the process from planning to final delivery. (Marks out of 10)
(PowerPoint Presentation) - Using between 10 and 15 slides only, show how each area of the ESG the project has had a positive impact on your organisation. Consider people, planet, prosperity and governance as your key areas. Use both qualitative and quantitative data as appropriate. (Marks out of 10)
(Interview) - In person or on video link, discuss with your Ethical Gambling Forum appointed examiner, how you and your colleagues have brought excellence to each area of ESG in the delivery of the project. (Marks out of 10)
Excellence/Master
General guidance of requirements – e.g. 25 hours to prepare for this award.
(Written) - In 2000 words explain the key aspects of your project/plan including how it meets all of the appropriate criteria listed above for Environmental, Social Impact and Governance. You should focus on how the overarching strategy has been delivered and by whom. Try to give details of each stage of the process from planning to final delivery. (Marks out of 10)
(PowerPoint Presentation) - Using up to 20 slides only, show how the project has had a positive impact on your organisation with regard to people, planet, prosperity and governance, as well as cultural changes, ethical leadership and external feedback. Use both qualitative and quantitative data as appropriate. (Marks out of 10)
(Interview) - In person or on video link, discuss with your Ethical Gambling Forum appointed examiner, how you and your colleagues have brought excellence to the overall delivery of ESG in your organisation. What could have been improved and what does your materiality survey suggest that you need to concentrate on in the next two years? (Marks out of 10)
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