November 2005 eCOGRA NEWS
eCOGRA News Articles Table of Content for November 2005
- Demand Grows for the eCOGRA Online Casino and Poker Room "Play it Safe" Seal of Approval
- Player Protection the Goal as Major Regulating Jursidiction and Player Assurance Organization Agree to Work Together
- eCOGRA Reaches out to Millions of Online Gamers with Appointment of US and UK Public Relations Agencies
DEMAND GROWS FOR THE eCOGRA
ONLINE CASINO AND POKER ROOM
'PLAY IT SAFE' SEAL OF APPROVAL
28 November 2005
Growing numbers of online casinos and poker rooms will soon have top player protection seal
The online gaming independent standards authority eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA) announced today that a significant number of online casinos and poker rooms are currently nearing the end of the organisation's inspection process and will soon be authorised to display the eCOGRA "Play It Safe" seal.
CEO Andrew Beveridge said it was likely that the eCOGRA Board would award the new seals before the end of the year following the extensive probity, game fairness and systems reviews carried out by third party professional audit and inspection groups.
"Over the past few months we have experienced unprecedented interest in eCOGRA from several important online casinos and poker rooms," Beveridge said. "Judging by the level of firm applications now under review I anticipate very significant increases in the number of seal holders within the next six months."
eCOGRA sets player-sensitive, best practice standards covering every aspect of online casino and poker room operations which are enforced through continuous monitoring and inspections. The non-profit authority offers a fast dispute resolution service to players through its Fair Gaming Advocate and commissions professional surveys and business studies to empower seal venues to improve their efficiency and business practice. Active responsible gaming programs are a feature of eCOGRA sites.
Online gaming venues that commit to and comply with the eCOGRA standards are awarded the now widely recognised "Play It Safe" revocable seal, which assures players of safe, honest and efficient online gaming where it is displayed.
The eCOGRA fair gaming system was recently accepted as effective and credible by the Kahnawake regulatory jurisdiction, and extensive discussions are currently taking place with several other leading national regulators and trade associations.
"I believe the gratifying rise in 'Play It Safe' seal applications, and the general interest in eCOGRA three years on from our launch is indicative of a more responsible and professional approach to this business, especially by the leading companies in the industry," Beveridge said.
"That interest is also reflected in the large number of industry portals now approaching us and asking to be associated with the player protective principles that the seal represents."
"eCOGRA is open to any software provider or associated operator that shares our principles of fair gaming and efficient service to the player and is prepared to be tested and monitored."
PLAYER PROTECTION THE GOAL
AS MAJOR REGULATING JURISDICTION
AND PLAYER ASSURANCE ORGANIZATION
AGREE TO WORK TOGETHER
For immediate release 8 November 2005
Kahnawá:ke recognizes eCOGRA principles of fair gaming
The industry's most prominent licencing jurisdiction, the Kahnawá:ke Gaming Commission and the industry's independent player assurance organisation eCOGRA have agreed to work together to ensure that player protection measures such as fair gaming and disputes resolution are consistently applied across companies operating under their rules.
Subject to certain conditions, the Commission agrees that operators using software supplied by eCOGRA members, and that is subject to eCOGRA's Generally Accepted Practices (eGAPs) and testing methodologies, will not be required to submit to review and monitoring processes that the Commission employs for other applicants and operators.
The Commission will continue to use its own methodologies in conducting due diligence investigations on all applicants to determine their suitability as Kahnawá:ke licensees. There will be more cooperation between the two bodies on player disputes to ensure that these are heard fairly, independently and within a reasonable timeframe.
The agreement will apply to a wide range of online gambling casinos and poker rooms, comprising a significant proportion of the available industry business. Kahnawá:ke numbers approximately 300 online gambling sites as licensees, and there are 56 major Internet venues carrying the eCOGRA "Play It Safe" seal.
In recent meetings, eCOGRA directors and top independent specialists from eCOGRA's Audit Panel gave detailed presentations to the Commission members and their advisors and technicians, on the software development and maintenance environments at eCOGRA's software supplier members and the Total Gaming Transaction Review (TGTR) process. TGTR is used by eCOGRA to assess the acceptability, fairness and integrity of gaming software on an ongoing basis in preference to source code certification which is more suited to the land-based gaming environment.
Commission officials examined the process in detail, together with the eGAPs required of seal operators in day to day business activity in the accounting, marketing, customer care and disputes resolution disciplines.
The briefings are the culmination of three years of meetings and discussions between the parties to determine whether their respective philosophies, standards and methodologies were compatible. As a result, the members of the Commission have agreed that the relevant principles of eGAP, and the methodologies that are used to implement those principles, are comparable to the Commission's strict standards for reviewing and monitoring online gaming software and systems and are therefore deemed suitable for this purpose.
Murray Marshall, legal counsel to the Commission said that it is agreed that representatives of the Commission and eCOGRA will liaise and communicate on a regular basis to ensure the relationship between the parties is working well.
"We share a common purpose in seeking to ensure that the player is given fair gaming and efficient, courteous service by casinos and poker rooms that are licensed by the Commission," he said. "We look forward to a closer working relationship that benefits both the players and the industry in the years ahead."
The CEO of eCOGRA, Andrew Beveridge said he was pleased that the Commission had approved of the testing procedures and operating standards that his organisation had introduced for the "Play It Safe" seal operations.
"eCOGRA is keen to interact with any jurisdiction that shares our values and we regard this closer relationship with the Commission as a significant step toward consistent regulation for safer gambling," he said.
eCOGRA REACHES OUT TO MILLIONS
OF ONLINE GAMERS WITH APPOINTMENT OF
US AND UK PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCIES
For immediate release 8 November 2005
eCOGRA REACHES OUT TO MILLIONS OF ONLINE GAMERS WITH APPOINTMENT OF US AND UK PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCIES
NEW YORK and LONDON, November 14, 2005: eCOGRA the independent regulatory body of the online gaming industry, today announced its plans to reach out to online casino and poker players worldwide with an educational and awareness raising campaign for the eCOGRA "Play It Safe" Seal. The organization has appointed two top-tier public relations agencies - Lotus Public Relations in New York and Chameleon PR in London to undertake the global campaign.
"The appointment of Lotus Public Relations and Chameleon PR will enable us to increase our communications directly to online gamblers and educate players about the advantages of playing on eCOGRA members' sites," said eCOGRA CEO Andrew Beveridge. "Not only can they play safe in the knowledge that the games are fair, but in the rare case that a dispute might arise, players have a powerful independent intermediary to swiftly resolve their concerns. There are many responsible online gaming companies and the eCOGRA 'Play It Safe' Seal offers professional and amateur players a quick and easy way to identify them."
The eCOGRA Seal is granted to online casinos and poker rooms that adopt eCOGRA's Generally Accepted Practices, which include the most stringent and high efficiency standards of player protection, fair gaming and responsible conduct. Members are required to undergo a rigorous third party inspection, ongoing reviews and regular monitoring of all player-interactive aspects of their operations to ensure continued compliance. Software is tested through eCOGRA's Total Gaming Transaction Review using software assurance procedures practiced by the world's leading audit firms to ensure the integrity, reliability and continued confidentiality of its systems. To date, eCOGRA has awarded Seals to 56 member sites, all of which have been independently reviewed by the eCOGRA audit panel.
This comprehensive and creative PR campaign is designed to educate online poker and casino players of the value of the "Play it Safe" Seal through player surveys, intensive media outreach, editorial briefings and by-lined articles. In addition, the program will strengthen eCOGRA's marketing and public relations capabilities with expert press kits, thought leadership positioning, member workshops and newsletters, so that both eCOGRA members and players benefit from the effort.
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