When you play online rulett, you might actually help a good cause. These online casinos do not just operate a business, they also have an involvement with charity institutions. This is what we call corporate responsibility.
Before the advent of online casinos, it is normal for casino operators to donate to charity. After all, their profit comes from gambling — an activity that many people frown upon. As such, they need to balance people’s perception of existence.
Today, let us look into some of the most notable charitable donations and actions of online casino organizations.
Poker Stars
Poker Stars is part of the Stars Group. They made charitable donations in the past and continue to do so today. Poker Stars is currently working with One Drop Foundation, a charitable organization that aims to provide free safe water to communities around the world.
The goal of One Drop is to become an agent of change that has an influence towards water management in countries with water problems. They also aim to help in the proper distribution of wealth.
The way it works is that proceeds from Poker Stars’ income will be given to One Drop. The proceeds will come from special charity poker games. Players will complete the buy-in, and part of the tournament income will be donated to One Drop.
It is not the first time that Poker Stars worked with a charitable organization. Back in 2004, Poker Stars worked with the International Federation of Red Cross. They did it to help the victims of a tsunami that hit many countries. They were also involved in helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
GGPoker
GGPoker is one of the biggest poker organizations in the world. They once donated $350,000 to charity after one big event with the World Series of Poker.
There was a time when GGPoker launched an event that attracted 2,323 participants. In it, each person donated $111 of their buy-in to a charitable foundation, which is Caesars Cares. The fund supports people who are suffering from unanticipated hardship in life because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
GGPoker also scheduled a family tournament to help the family of Drea Renee. Drea’s sister passed away due to COVID-19 complications. Their family raised a GoFundMe page and received $24,000 from people. Drea is a poker reporter who has done extensive coverage of the game. As such, she has provided valuable entertainment, news, and information to poker fans worldwide.
Bet On Charity
Bet On Charity is an organization that works with casinos to distribute donations. Instead of operating a casino, they have something like an arrangement with online casinos and sportsbooks. If you go to Bet On Charity’s website, you can choose what game to play.
Then, you click on a link for that casino. Once you make a deposit, part of that goes to charity. The way it works is as follows:
- You choose a charity;
- You select the online casino you want;
- You play, and then they will receive a donation from your bets.
The charities they support are:
- American Cancer Society;
- Red Cross;
- Make-A-Wish;
- AIDS Research Institute.
The money they receive is between 5% and 40% of the net house win. If you win, nothing goes to the charity institution. If you lose, between 5% and 40% of the losses go to charity. The money goes to the charity you chose on a quarterly basis.
Big Heart Bingo
Big Heart Bingo is a UK organization that raises funds for charity like lotteries do. They are a non-profit company that was founded by Jeremy Collis. He was the former CEO of Littlewoods Lotteries. Like other online casinos, the company offers bonuses to players.
Big Heart Bingo gives donations to the following:
- Save the Children;
- Cancer Research;
- National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children;
- Great Ormond Street Hospital;
- Royal National Institute of Blind People.
They also give donations to other organizations like Comic Relief and Age Concern. Big Heart Bingo is the first charity bingo website in the UK. As time passed, the organization also introduced other casino games on their site, such as blackjack and roulette.
Big Heart Bingo is not globally accessible. While they offer bonuses such as a 300% deposit match, only people from selected countries can access their site.
Yes, online casinos may wreak havoc on the life of their users, but one should not forget that these casinos did not force anyone to play. They offered a service, and people played.
Online casinos are not inherently evil, as some groups would like you to perceive them. Casinos are nothing more than businesses. They earn money by giving people an opportunity to win big prizes. However, many people perceive casinos as bad for society. It is because of this that many online casinos try to manage this perception.