RGC Privacy Policy

Last Updated: January 10, 2024

This privacy policy explains the privacy practices of Responsible Gambling Council and Responsible Gambling Council (Ontario)  (referred to as “RGC”, “us”, “we” or “our”). RGC respects your privacy. This privacy policy applies to the collection, use and disclosure of personal information in connection with RGC’s operated websites, including those located at https://www.responsiblegambling.orghttps://planbeforeyouplay.ca/ and https://checkyourreflex.ca/, gamblingisrandom.org, Discoveryconference.org.

(collectively, the “Websites”) and in connection with the provision of Carson Dunlop’s products and services.

Our privacy policy may be amended from time to time, so we encourage you to periodically check our Websites for the current version. Notice of any such modification will be provided in the header of this Privacy Policy by way of an amended date of last update.

By accessing any Website you hereby consent to the collection, use, disclosure, and retention of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy.

How and When Does RGC Collect Personal Information

Personal information, such as your name, e-mail address, job title and organization, country, and telephone number, is gathered on or through your access and use of the Websites:

  • When you voluntarily request a publication or notice of event;
  • When you submit a comment, question or request via e-mail or via our comment form on such Websites;
  • When you enter a contest;
  • When you complete a survey online that specifically asks for you to provide your personal information; or
  • When you provide your feedback or make suggestions that include your personal information.

Personal information may also be solicited for other purposes.  We will clearly identify and document the purposes for which we may collect, use or disclose personal information at or before the time of such solicitation, however.

How and When Does RGC Use Personal Information?

We use personal information to respond to your inquiries and messages, or to provide the requested service, notice of upcoming event or publication.  We may also use personal information to provide you with information regarding RGC, our mandate as well as our products and services.

If you do not wish to receive our publications, notices of upcoming events or general information about RGC and our products and services, please contact us by e-mail at webmaster@rgco.org, by phone at 416-499-9800 or in writing at our mailing address, 411 Richmond Street East, Suite 205, Toronto, Ontario M5A 3S5. In regard to publications or notices sent by e-mail, you may also click the unsubscribe hyperlink that appears in the e-mail in question.

Disclosure of Personal Information

Information in our contact/mailing lists will not be used, sold or traded for any commercial purpose. We may, however, disclose or provide access to certain personal information to our service providers including, without limitation, service providers that provide assistance in the operation of the Websites or the computer facilities in conjunction with which the Websites are operated or the computer facilities that receive or otherwise store personal information.

We may also disclose or provide access to certain personal information in the event of a grave health or safety hazard to the public or where there is risk of serious harm to an individual or a group of individuals, as permitted or required by applicable laws. For example, we may disclose personal information about an individual who indicates or suggests that he or she will harm himself or herself, we may, among other things, disclose personal information that we hold in regard to such individual to emergency services.

We are responsible for personal information in our possession or custody, including information that needs to be disclosed to third parties in the course of our operations. We use contractual and other means to ensure that third parties to whom we disclose personal information for processing provide a comparable level of protection with respect to personal information in their possession or control.

In addition, in the unlikely event that RGC transfers all or substantially all of its assets.

RGC collects technical information from your computer’s Web browser or Internet device when you visit www.responsiblegambling.org on the Internet. This information includes the amount of time spent on the site, pages visited, the operating system and web browser used, the referrer site and any keywords used to find our site. These server logs do not contain personal information and can only be accessed by RGC. Server logs are used solely to track visits to our web site to improve the experience, content and layout of our site. RGC makes no attempt to link this traffic information to the individuals visiting our website .

RGC collects cookies when you visit the Websites. Cookies are small data files that are stored on a device that can be used to optimize a visitor’s experience on a website, provide website operators with information for marketing or website optimization purposes, and/or provide website operators with aggregate, non-personally identifiable data about website visitors. Cookies are only stored if your web browser setting permits.

RGC uses “Third-party Cookies,” specifically Facebook and Google Analytics, for aggregate data and marketing purposes. This information does not personally identify you. The type of data collected includes general website viewing information such as (but not limited to) the amount of time spent on the site, pages visited, the operating system and web browser used, geography/locale, the referrer site and any keywords used to find our site. This data does not contain personally identifiable information and can only be accessed by RGC. This information helps RGC improve the experience, content and layout of the Websites. RGC makes no attempt to link this traffic information to the individuals visiting our website (including with the IP address of such visitors).

Google Analytics cookies, including the Google Analytics tool “anonymous IP address” and usage data, are usually transmitted to a Google server in the United States and stored there. For further information, please refer to https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=en.  Google Analytics offers the option to opt out of data collection through access to https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=en.

 

How long will your personal information be retained?

Unless otherwise required by law, RGC will retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary for the fulfillment of the purposes.

How Is Personal Information Kept Safe?

Information entered anywhere on our site is transmitted to the RGC server unencrypted, using standard Internet protocol (HTTP). You should be aware of the inherent risks of interception when communicating with others on-line. Your e-mail messages to RGC are kept secure once they reach us – software is installed on all computers at RGC’s location that aims to prevent viruses and malicious activity.

How do we Ensure the Accuracy of Your Personal Information?

We will endeavour to ensure that personal information under our control that is used on an ongoing basis, including information that we disclose to third parties in accordance with this privacy policy, is as accurate, complete, and up-to-date as is necessary for the purposes for which it is to be used. In order to assist us in that regard, we urge you to provide us with updates regarding such information and to inform us of any errors in terms of the personal information that we hold.

When and How Can you Access Your Personal Information?

Upon written request addressed to our Privacy Officer, except where applicable laws otherwise allow or require, we will inform an individual of the existence, use and disclosure of his or her personal information and we will give that individual access to his or her personal information. An individual can challenge the accuracy and completeness of his or her personal information under our control and have it amended as appropriate.

We may require an individual to provide sufficient information to permit us to provide an account of the existence, use and disclosure of personal information and may also require that such individual provide sufficient proof to validate his or her identity. While our response will typically be provided at no cost to the individual, depending on the nature of the request and the amount of information involved, we reserve the right to recover our reasonable costs associated with such request. In these circumstances, we will inform the individual of the approximate cost to provide the response and proceed upon payment by the individual of the cost.

In certain situations, we may refuse a request or not be able to provide access to all the personal information we hold about an individual. Exceptions to the access requirement will be limited and specific, as permitted or required by law. Where permitted, the reasons for denying access will be provided to the individual upon request.

How do we hold ourselves accountable?

RGC is responsible for all personal information under our control. If we provide you with products or services which require you to disclose your personal information, we will abide by the terms of this Privacy Policy. Accountability for our compliance with this privacy policy rests with our Privacy Officer. However, other individuals within RGC may have responsibility for the day-to-day collection and processing of personal information.

Contact information for our Privacy Officer is set out below:

Privacy Officer
Responsible Gambling Council (Ontario)
411 Richmond Street East
Suite 205
Toronto, Ontario  M5A 3S5
Fax: +1 (416) 499-8260
E-mail: privacy@rgco.org