Online Gambling

eCOGRA Helps Protect Online Casino Players

From Bill Burton,
Your Guide to online casino gambling.
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Protecting Online Players

Safety is the major concern that players have about online gambling. They want to know if the games are honest and if their money will be safe. Many players are hesitant to put money into an online casino because they are concerned that they will not get paid when they win or that the games are rigged and they will lose their money. Another concern they have is they don’t know where they can go if the do have a problem with an online casino or poker room.

Those are very legitimate concerns and there is no governing body that oversees the online casinos the way that the Casino Control Board does in many States. However now there is one organization that regulates monitors and certifies some of the online casinos and poker sites.

eCOGRA (eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) was founded in 2003 with the goal to establish standards for online gaming sites including online casinos and poker sites. eCOGRA is an independent, non-profit, regulatory organization that audits, monitors and enforces standards among online gaming sites.

eCOGRA’s main mission is the protection of online players. The primary objective of eCOGRA is to provide player protection, by providing comfort to the player that the games are fair, the player will be paid on a timely basis and treated fairly, and that the operators will behave responsibly. The sites they certify must comply with their strict guidelines and they are regularly reviewed to make sure they continue to meet the standards set by the organization.

Once an online casino or poker room is certified they are able to display the “eCOGRA Play It Safe” logo on their site. Presently there are 76 online casinos and poker rooms that certified and several more are in the review process which can take up to a year.

As the player’s advocate eCOGRA will work quickly to resolve any disputes that may arise between the players and the online casinos that they certify. In 2005, most player disputes were usually resolved in less than 48 hours.

I had the opportunity to speak with eCOGRA’s CEO and Executive Director Andrew Beveridge and ask him some questions about the eCOGRA organization.

I was interested in how eCOGRA goes about checking a site and wondered what it took to qualify for their “Play It Safe” seal. Beveridge said, ”It’s quite intensive. We physically go to the site and do an audit. We look at over 100 areas of the business to make sure they comply with our standards.”

He added, “None of the sites have been awarded the Play it safe seal on the first try. What happens is that when they feel they are ready the auditors will go in and look to find where the areas of weakness are. That is reported back to the independent directors who are quite particular that the sites are 100 percent compliant with all our standards before the seal can be awarded. The auditors go back and forth to the site to pinpoint any short comings and to make sure that they are corrected. Although no one had been awarded the seal on the first try we have not had to withdraw any seals as of yet. I think the reason for that is the operators are making a continued effort to maintain their seal.”

eCOGRA is working diligently to assure that the online casinos and online poker rooms are giving the players a fair and honest games. Because they are an independent agency they can offer an honest and objective review of the online gaming sites. If you are considering playing online you can assure you are getting a fair game by playing at the eCOGRA certified casinos. There is a complete listing on the eCOGRA website.

Read the full interview with eCOGRA CEO and Executive Director Andrew Beveridge on the next page.12 Next

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