What does eCOGRA do for online casinos?

The eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA) body is an internationally approved testing agency for the online gambling industry, dealing with player protection, fair gaming, responsible operator conduct and certification of software.

Established in 2003 and based in the United Kingdom (UK), this independent authority regulates numerous Web based real money gambling operators, including online casinos, online poker rooms, online sports bookmakers and online bingo rooms, and ensures such gaming companies adhere to the highest standards of ethical business practices.

List of eCOGRA approved online casino sites

eCOGRA is one of the most respected and established gaming regulatory authorities, and while the company takes the strictest measures possible to ensure all of its tested and approved gambling operators comply with its own set of safety guidelines, it cannot 100 per cent guarantee the operation of casino games and general practices of any given site are, at all times, in accordance with those guidelines.

However, it is by far the best organisation available at our disposal to keep online casinos and other gaming businesses in line, and its effectiveness at doing so has been proven time and time again.

The following list of Internet casino operators (which also boast mobile compatible sites) have all been tested and certified by eCOGRA, and are constantly under the company’s surveillance:

• 7 Sultans Casino
• 777 Dragon Casino
• 888 Casino
• All Jackpots Casino
• All Slots Casino
• Bingo.com Casino
• Casino Action
• Casino Classic
• Casino-Mate
• Casino UK
• Euro Palace
• Gaming Club Casino
• Jackpot City Casino
• Lucky Nugget Casino
• Party Casino
• Platinum Play Casino
• Royal Vegas Casino
• Ruby Fortune Casino
• Spin Casino
• UK Casino Club
• Wild Jack Casino

eCOGRA also certifies gaming software developers and their live dealer gaming platforms, such as Microgaming Software Systems Limited and Net Entertainment. The eCOGRA Certified Software Seal is awarded to high quality, safe and fair gaming designer companies, which demonstrate an appreciation for customer satisfaction and secure software programming. eCOGRA also works with trusted and approved affiliate programs.

Key areas of regulation (Generally Accepted Practice Requirements)

eCOGRA’s chief policies and requirements are focussed on the following areas of gaming regulation:

• Preventing underage gambling and identifying and helping problem gamblers
• Combatting fraudulent and criminal activity and behaviour
• Ensuring customer details and information are kept secure and private
• Ensuring fast, fair and accurate payouts
• Keeping marketing and advertising practices in check, and identifying unethical practices
• Monitoring the gaming environment and ensuring customers are satisfied
• Approving the accuracy of gaming software and technology (random number generators and game evaluations)

The eCOGRA Safe and Fair Seal of Approval is awarded to online casino operators complying with the testing agency’s Generally Accepted Practice Requirements, as detailed above.

Operators are assessed annually by trained compliance specialists, who have backgrounds within the auditing field and are qualified Chartered Accountants and/or Certified Information Systems Auditors. If your real money casino site has received the eCOGRA Safe and Fair Seal of Approval, it should be displayed either on its home page or within its security and safety page.

Additionally, all real money Internet casino websites are required, by law, to display their payout percentage rates of all their games, which eCOGRA also closely monitors. Substantive testing and evaluation is conducted for all relevant areas of the real money site’s services and operations, with games, random number generators, financial security and other aspects all going under stringent analysis and assessment.

Online gambling is widespread across the globe, and eCOGRA monitors operators from a host of different regulated gambling jurisdictions, including Alderney, Denmark, Gibraltar, Italy, Kahnawake, Spain, the Isle of Man and the United Kingdom. For more information about how eCOGRA helps to safeguard real cash online casinos, you can check at the company’s website: www.ecogra.org.