Charities involved in online gaming fundraisers need to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of those taking part, according to the Fundraising Regulator.

In its latest guidance on fundraising in gaming the regulator is reminding fundraisers of their responsibilities to protect participants, who are often gamers live streaming events on behalf or in aid of charities to garner donations.

When a live stream is taking place charities are urged to appoint one or more moderators to supervise the chat “to uphold standards of behaviour” as well as remove spam, deal with trolling and “in some cases block users”.

“Your moderators should be people you trust to maintain your standards of behaviour on social media, are familiar with online streaming, and know how the streaming platform(s) that you use work,” says the guidance.

The guidance warns charities that “those carrying out online gaming on your behalf might experience the negative online behaviours of others, such as abusive or offensive posts”.

It urges charities to make sure they have access to training and support to “help protect the safety and wellbeing of your staff and third-party fundraisers”.

“Make sure they know when and how to deal with, escalate and report content when appropriate, such as to social media/streaming platforms and to the police,” the guidance adds.

“Those who are online gaming, hosting or moderating an online gaming event on your behalf should know when and how to hide, remove and/or report illegal, harmful or offensive content.”

Charities are also reminded about minimum age requirements around some games. When planning live streams they should ensure that the age rating is “suitable for the likely audience”, adding “if you are in doubt about the suitability of a game, you should choose a different game”.

Vulnerability of those taking part, in particular to elements of gaming that are similar to gambling or involve in-game purchasing, is also a focus of the guidance.

“Be aware of how your online gaming fundraising could affect the behaviour and wellbeing of those gaming on your behalf and those viewing (potential and actual donors), particularly of those in vulnerable circumstances,” it says.

The guidance also raises the distinction between those taking part “in aid” of a fundraiser and those “on behalf” of the event, who charities can have more direction and control over.

The guidance is one of three new guides published by the Fundraising Regulator, with the other two covering fundraising events and fundraising on social media.

“Charity trustees, fundraising staff and third-party fundraisers should use the guides to help them make sure their fundraising meets the requirements” of the regulator’s fundraising code, said its head of policy Paul Winyard.

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