Hot Dice Games Ltd: Our Commitment to Your Data Privacy

Last Updated: 01/10/25

1. Our Promise to You

At Hot Dice Games Ltd, safeguarding your personal information is a fundamental responsibility. This document outlines our approach to managing the data you share with us, in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It explains what we collect, why we need it, how we protect it, and the control you have over it.

2. The Information We Hold

To run our club effectively and provide you with membership services, we may need to process the following information:

  • Core Identity & Contact Details: Your name, preferred title, email address, and phone number.
  • Membership & Engagement Records: Your membership status, start date, date of birth, event attendance, and any volunteer roles you undertake.
  • Transaction Information: Necessary details to process membership fees, primarily through secure third-party payment handlers. We avoid storing sensitive financial data like full card numbers.
  • Digital Footprint: When you use our website, we may collect technical information such as your IP address and browser type.
  • Optional Sensitive Information: In specific situations, for your safety and inclusion, we may ask for information such as emergency contact details or relevant health conditions. We will only ever record this with your clear and explicit consent.

3. How Your Information is Gathered

We collect this information directly through our interactions with you, including:

  • Your membership application and any forms you complete.
  • Correspondence via email, social media, or in person.
  • Your participation in club events and activities.
  • Automated collection of technical data when you use our online services.

4. Our Reasons for Using Your Data

We use your personal information only where we have a valid legal basis to do so:

  • To Fulfil Our Membership Agreement: To administer your membership, organise events you participate in, and manage club operations.
  • With Your Clear Consent: For specific, non-essential purposes like sending marketing newsletters or processing sensitive health data for your well-being at events. You may withdraw this consent at any time.
  • For Our Legitimate Interests: To improve our services, ensure security, and communicate important club news, always balancing our interests against your privacy rights.
  • To Comply with the Law: For example, retaining financial records as required by HM Revenue & Customs.

5. Keeping Your Data Secure

We treat the security of your data with the utmost seriousness. Our protective measures include:

  • Storing electronic data on reputable, secure third-party platforms (such as Wix and Google) that employ robust security, access controls, and backup procedures.
  • Implementing password protection and access controls on any data that must be handled temporarily in local files (e.g., spreadsheets for event management), with the data being securely deleted immediately after use.
  • Limiting internal access to your data to a need-to-know basis for committee members and authorised volunteers, all of whom are bound by a duty of confidentiality. We do not retain information in paper form.

6. How Long We Keep Your Information

We will not keep your personal data for longer than is necessary. We determine the retention period based on the purpose for which it was collected, legal obligations (such as tax law for financial records), and the nature of the data. Generally, we will retain your core membership details while you are an active member and for a reasonable period thereafter to handle any administrative queries.

7. Your Data Protection Rights

You have significant rights regarding your personal data. You are entitled to:

  • Request access to the personal data we hold about you.
  • Ask us to correct or update any inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Request the deletion of your personal data in specific situations (the “right to be forgotten”).
  • Ask us to restrict or pause the processing of your data under certain conditions.
  • Object to how we are using your data, particularly for direct marketing.
  • Receive your data in a portable, machine-readable format to transfer to another service.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below.

8. Who We Share Your Data With

We respect your privacy and will not sell or trade your personal data. We may only share it with:

  • Trusted Service Providers: Such as our website host, email platform, or payment processor, under strict data protection agreements.
  • Other Members: In limited, practical circumstances (e.g., a circulated attendance list for an event), always done with care for your privacy.
  • Legal Authorities: If required to do so by law.

9. Member-Initiated Digital Platforms (e.g., WhatsApp Groups)

To facilitate communication and community among our members, Hot Dice Games Ltd may establish or endorse digital communication platforms, such as WhatsApp groups.

a) Your Choice and Control
 Participation in any such group is entirely voluntary and is considered a member-initiated activity. By choosing to join a group via an invite link or by accepting an invitation, you are initiating your participation.

When you join a group managed or endorsed by the Club, you will receive a welcome message that clearly states:

  • The purpose of the group.
  • That your continued membership in the group is entirely optional.
  • That you can leave the group at any time, for any reason, using the platform’s standard functionality.
  • A reminder to adhere to the Club’s Code of Conduct within the group.

b) Our Lawful Basis for Processing
Your decision to join and, crucially, your choice to remain in the group after receiving this information, constitutes a clear, affirmative action. We rely on this action as the lawful basis for processing your phone number (which is visible to other group members) within the context of that specific group, under the following GDPR provisions:

  • Legitimate Interests: The Club has a legitimate interest in fostering a community and facilitating communication among its members. Your voluntary participation indicates that your interests and fundamental rights do not override this interest.
  • Consent (Implied): Your continued presence in the group after being informed of your right to leave is interpreted as implied consent to the processing of your phone number for the specific purpose of that group’s communication.

c) Important Considerations

  • Third-Party Platforms: Please note that these groups are hosted on third-party platforms (like WhatsApp) which have their own privacy policies and data handling practices. Hot Dice Games Ltd is not responsible for the data security of these external platforms.
  • Visibility to Others: By nature of how these platforms function, your phone number and any messages you send will be visible to other members of the group. We encourage all members to be respectful and mindful of the personal information they share.

If you have any concerns about a specific group, we encourage you to leave the group directly or contact the group administrator. You may also contact the Club Data Lead using the details in Section 10.

10. Raising a Concern

If you have any concerns or questions about how we handle your data, please contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint directly with the UK’s independent regulator for data protection:

Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
 Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Website: https://www.ico.org.uk

11. Contacting Us

For any questions regarding this policy or to exercise your data rights, the Data Lead for Hot Dice Games Ltd can be reached at: Hotdicegames@gmail.com

This policy is subject to periodic review and may be updated. The latest version will always be available on our website or from a committee member.