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eCOGRA The Role of eCOGRA in Responsible Online Gaming |
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| This article discusses about the different aspects of eCOGRA, from the formative years and how eCOGRA is a regulator in the online casino industry. |
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An Introduction to eCOGRA |
| eCOGRA (e-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) is a non-profit organization established in 2002 by Microgaming, an online gambling software provider, and 888.com. It functions as a watchdog for the online gaming industry. The organization receives some degree of financial support from members who are software providers for the online gaming industry.
It has been the first attempt by members of the industry to have in place a watchdog agency that ensures things happen properly in the different segments of the industry. Over time, eCOGRA has become an accepted authority figure in the online gaming industry for the standards it sets for the casinos and gaming rooms operating in this space. Casinos with the eCOGRA seal of approval are recognized as safe places to play.
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What eCOGRA Does |
As the name itself suggests, eCOGRA lays down standards that impact both the gaming operators as well as players in the online gaming industry. The organization fulfills three basic requirements. It ensures that:
- The gaming at the online gaming rooms and casinos it certifies is fair
- Players have a safe and secure environment to play in
- The online gambling operators behave responsibly
Basically, eCOGRA performs audits and checks to ensure correctness in the critical areas of online gaming, including:
- Payments
- Gaming
- Data security and integrity
- Business ethics
Once an online casino or gaming room recognizes eCOGRA as the certifying authority, it the organization performs audits on it to ensure it is in sync with the guidelines it has set. The audits are not singular events; eCOGRA conducts these audits periodically at the sites of its various members. After performing the audit on an online casino or gaming room, eCOGRA issues a certificate of approval to the auditee, called the Safe & Fair seal.
The decision about which software providers can become eCOGRA members and which casinos or gaming rooms are fit to receive the eCOGRA seal of approval rests with Independent Directors.
eCOGRA also has a dispute resolution mechanism that allows speedy resolution of disputes arising between players and the gaming sites they visit. A player with a dispute has the right to ask for a Fair Gaming Advocate.
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Some More Facts about eCOGRA |
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| So far, eCOGRA has a proven track record in offering certifications to online gambling outfits. The number of organizations it has certified includes over 100 online casinos, most of which use Microgaming software. It also includes over 20 poker sites that are Microgaming driven, 888.com driven (Pacific Poker), and members of the Ongame network run by bwin.
eCOGRA also offers mediation services in cases of disputes between online gaming rooms and players. The company has received 457 complaints that were casino-related in 2006, of which it managed to resolve 161 in favor of the player and 199 in favor of the casinos. It threw out 97 of the complaints on the ground that they were invalid. |
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