February 2008 eCOGRA NEWS
eCOGRA News Articles Table of Content for February 2008
- March Responsible Gambling Seminar
- Responsible Gambling
- Regulation Boosts European Interest in eCOGRA
- Why the Demand for Regulation?
- Dilemma of the White Label
- Suspension Of eCOGRA Seals
March Responsible Gambling Seminar
19 Febuary 2008
March 19th of this year eCOGRA will host a training course, with accredited companies that are under review from around the world. These companies have already committed to the expense of sending their managers to attend.
This 2 day course will commence with a senior independent director from eCOGRA, followed by former Chief Inspector Bill Galston OBE of the UK Gaming Board. Then they will have detailed tuition sessions, presented by expert professional speakers from GamCare, on the clinical and social aspects on the problem, and the underage gambling problem.
The program is designed to cover all aspects of responsible gambling awareness and to implement of effective and practical measures to identify and exclude problem gamblers, and with emphasis on player protection, customer communication, providing players with information. The attending mangers will learn this and return and teach it to their staff. And train them to deal with responsible gambling issues, and marketing initiatives in compliance with the Responsible Gambling Code.
To read more on this seminar and on eCOGRA : www.ecogra.org.
Responsible Gambling
18 Febuary 2008
Leading Industries are deeply involved in finding a key that is a more cohesive approach to underage and problem gambling.
A joint initiative with Gamcare, eCOGRA, RGA, EGBA and the IGC are seeking to introduce an approach to this problem.
These companies had already put in place anti-problem gambling measures and codes of practice to identify potential victims. They are improving screening and diagnostic technologies, including professional staff training and refresher programs.
The secretary general of the European Gaming and Betting Association said: “The EGBA has always pressed for the highest standards of social responsibility in the European online gaming and betting industry. We are pleased to contribute now to a code of conduct for responsible gaming and greater player protection at international level.”
Read the whole story here: http://www.ecogra.org/newsletter/01.html
REGULATION BOOSTS EUROPEAN
INTEREST in eCOGRA
18 Febuary 2008
Andrew Beveridge, CEO of eCOGRA stated: “With competition soaring in the European arena following the move away from the legality-ridden and confusing problems of operating in the United States, the need for acceptable standards and licensing has never been stronger.”
The United Kingdom recently published advertising “white list” has gotten many companies to gravitate to more effective and acceptable licensing jurisdictions like Gibraltar, Alderney, and Malta.
A London based team and Beveridge have engaged regularly with many licensing jurisdictions on the acceptability of it’s standards, this has laid the ground work for compliance with requirements for game fairness, customer service, responsible gambling, management integrity, operational efficiency and accounting best practice.
Beveridge Stated “"We're aware that there are inter-nation and perhaps political difficulties in reaching a harmonised form of detailed international standards and regulations among national licensing jurisdictions,"
"But the main prize is surely a safe and fair online gambling environment for the players? That is our goal in promoting practical standards on which we can all agree and the inspection and monitoring necessary to ensure compliance.
"We are confident that eCOGRA makes it possible for accredited operations to meet or exceed the principal demands of the top licensing jurisdictions, and that has generated substantial interest in our activities by operators who look for professional guidance in reaching the right levels of acceptability."
Whole story: http://www.ecogra.org/newsletter/05.html
WHY the DEMAND for REGULATION?
18 Febuary 2008
eCOGRA has had a marked increase in the demand for respectable online gambling certification and assurance from online gambling firms to commit to standards of integrity, fair gaming and gaming business efficiency.
Andrew Beveridge, CEO of eCOGRA has outlined the desire for professional recognition:
* A real desire to better serve the customer and increase business potential.
* The increased competitiveness of the European and Asian market sectors following the significant loss of US business in the wake of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.
* The advent last year of a practical national regulatory regime in the United Kingdom, and the impact that policies like advertising white lists have had on the industry as a whole.
* The growing savvy of the international player community and its ability to communicate with new players shortly after they have entered the market.
* The gradual erosion of old European national betting monopolies thanks to the fair and equitable free trade policies of the European Union, opening up opportunities for well managed Internet gaming businesses.
* Growing numbers of successful and now well established gaming and software companies that want to distinguish themselves as tier one operations and are prepared to make the investment necessary to do so.
* More intense media coverage of the industry, especially in relation to responsible gambling issues.
Whole story here: http://www.ecogra.org/newsletter/06.html
DILEMMA of the WHITE LABEL
18 Febuary 2008
Online gambling companies try to compete and access niche markets, with the practice of white labeling. But the players view this as another layer of management and a potential risk of suspicion.
The professional team of eCommerce Gaming Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA) have been studying the question of white labeling to find a practical solution that will assure players, and is of growing importance.
Two models that characterize the concept of white labeling:
The turnkey provider is successful and one most likely to reassure the player. It has a good track record that directly or through a major licensee sets up a while label solution similar to the (skins) in an affiliate marketing relationship.
The turnkey provider stands behind the product client, providing all gaming, support and backend services, which includes money processing. Which this leaves the owner of the white label operation free, so they can concentrate on marketing the site and attracting players. This objective is to protect both the player and reputation, by taking precautions against unethical practices like deception, spamming and distasteful marketing.
The other model is a riskier course all too prevalent at the lower end of the market. The white label is set up with games and a back-end by the turnkey provider, but handles payment processing, occasional support independently.
The player is at a disadvantage should things go wrong.
Read this article: http://www.ecogra.org/newsletter/04.html
SUSPENSION OF eCOGRA SEALS
For immediate release 15 Febuary 2008
Due to the latest auditing done by eCOGRA, several online casinos have had their eCOGRA Seals suspended until further investigation and to include an online poker site which has had their seal revoked. This has come about due to compliance failures, of which need to be held, to have the backing of the eCOGRA Seal. The seal is set in place for player protection operations and practice requirements to ensure the safety and protection of players and online sites as well, during gaming and money transfers.
An onsite review was recently conducted by eCOGRA's Compliance and Advisory Services staff at the operations for the following casinos as part of a normal seal renewal process:
Challenge (www.challengecasino.com)
Golden Reef (www.goldenreefcasino.com)
I Big Casino (www.ibigcasino.com)
Music Hall (www.musichallcasino.com)
Nostalgia (www.nostalgiacasino.com)
UK Casino Club (www.ukcasinoclub.com)
The Management of these casinos have been advised of this action and requested to comment on the findings of the audit review. Further information will be provided once these investigations are concluded.
It should further be noted that the operations applicable to Arctic Poker (www.arcticpoker.com) did not form part of the eCOGRA review, and therefore the seal for this site has been revoked, as the time by which it should have been reviewed has expired.
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