Social games provide players with the opportunity to engaging in fun, free activities online – but there always seems to be a catch. Many social gaming operators are known to mislead players about the costs associated with their games, and the UK’s Office of Fair Trading hopes to put an end to this. This week, the OFT proposed a number of ‘principles’, which will protect consumers in the social gaming market.

They were published in a report called ‘Children’s Online Games’, but the principles will protect players of all ages from being misled by social gaming operators. “This is a new and innovative industry that has grown very rapidly in recent years, but it needs to ensure it is treating consumers fairly and that children are protected,” says Cavendish Elithorn, director of the OFT.

“These principles provide a clear benchmark for how games makers should be operating. Once they are finalised, we will expect the industry to follow them, or risk enforcement action”. There are eight principles which deal with four different concerns in the social gaming market: provision of clear and accurate information, clear commercial intent, aggressive or exploitative commercial practices and unauthorized payments.

With regards to the provision of clear and accurate information, the OFT suggests that social gaming operators should break down the costs of playing and downloading each game. As such, each game would outline the initial cost of the download, any subsequent costs and optional extras. The game should also state whether it includes marketing material or if it collects personal data for marketing purposes.

The OFT would also like to see game developers clearly distinguish their paid-for content. In many games, it is unclear whether or not you have to pay for particular items which could lead players to spending money that they did not intend to spend on social gaming. The OFT’s principles would prevent this from happening. To read about all eight principles, visit: http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/consumer-enforcement/oft1506.pdf

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.