safe ecogra casinos

A website might look great, sound great, claim to be great and be recom­mended by enthusiastic but commission-based sites awash with banner ads and inviting links, but we would prefer to be guided by more inde­pendent opinion. Obviously there are numerous factors to be taken into consideration before parting with our cash, certain pros and cons can be interpreted in different ways and, as we have seen, one potential cus­tomer's criteria might well be quite unlike another's. Moreover, other than the fairly fundamental things to look out for there are some key is­sues and features regarding online gambling sites that we either under­value or even fail to appreciate but experts in various aspects of the industry believe to be of considerable importance. With this in mind it is reassuring that the explosion of internet gambling and the accompanying flood of sites we are now exposed to has prompted the setting up of organisations aimed at placing a growing number of the would-be bigger online gambling operators under the microscope.

One such body that is a welcome arrival to the vast world of online gambling is eCOGRA, the acronym standing for eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance. This is an independent, non-profit organisation designed specifically to protect us internet players by imposing strict operating rules - known as eGAP or eCOGRA Generally Accepted Practices - to its members.

You should remember that with sites based in numerous countries that have quite diverse laws and regulations, it is (so far) impossible to ac­tually police internet casino firms worldwide, but this does not pre­clude the possibility that these companies can voluntarily abide by the strict player-friendly 'rules' of a well respected regulatory body that, to some extent, assumes a policing role.

Just as it is imperative for reputable businesses such as travel agents or global superstores to sign up to the rules of relevant standards commis­sions and so on (thereby committing themselves to specific requirements and trading methods), it is equally important for those who run internet gambling sites with a view to carving out a healthy share of the market and establishing a solid, long-term client base to be associated with an organisation such as eCOGRA.

Displaying a willingness to adhere to certain requirements and methods of conducting business as well as being prepared to have the site come under the scrutiny of a team of independent inspectors induces confi­dence in clients. Satisfied players can lead only to better business, so eCOGRA is a win-win situation for both players and the casinos that meet the organisation's requirements to a level that justifies the eCOGRA Seal. Having seen so many gushing 'in-house' awards plastered over so many gambling sites it is easy to be suspicious of a site being afforded an official seal of integrity and standard but, in this case at least, the re­quirements for approval are detailed and strict and devised with the player in mind.

Applicants are required to implement a detailed list of eCOGRA require­ments covering every player-sensitive area of operations. This includes informed and contactable Support, tough Accounting and financial re­quirements to ensure fast payouts, dispute resolution systems and a host of other services regarded as necessary for a casino to operate effectively. When the applicant is confident that eGAP is in place inspection teams consisting of qualified and independent professionals are brought in for verification (or to point out necessary actions) using the proprietary out­comes testing procedure developed by PricewaterhouseCoopers, a large, internationally respected professional services group. Known as the Total Gaming Transaction Review, the system uses sophisticated analysis techniques to review every single gaming transaction at casinos bearing the eCOGRA Seal. Anomalies will automatically trigger further examination.

Those casinos that pass the inspection are awarded the Seal and are re­quired to display this prominently on-site, the process continuing with a variety of ongoing methods being used by the organisation to monitor op­erations. Additionally, applicant casinos must use software from providers that have themselves been rigorously tested for probity, games fairness and solid backend capability by eCOGRA contracted teams. The London staff includes a Fair Gaming Advocate to whom complaints can be made online in the event that any player-casino dispute cannot be resolved.

At the time of writing inspections carried out on leading casinos during 2003/2004 have resulted in over 40 operations meeting the requirements, and with integrity such a key issue these days, expect the eCOGRA um­brella to grow.

eCOGRA Seal Practices and Associated Objectives

The integrity of the eCOGRA seal is principally dependent on the follow­ing process:

1. Whether the seal requirements are sufficient and appropriate.

2. The extent to which operators and software providers adhere to these requirements.

3. The effectiveness of the procedures adopted by the Audit Panel firms to ensure compliance with these requirements.

4.An exhaustive and detailed schedule of requirements encompassing all areas of online gaming relating to fair gaming practices are incorporated into eGAP. Here is a summary of each practice and its related objective, which really does bring home to us, the customer, what is involved for those who set up and successfully maintain internet casinos.

Player Protection
1. Payment to and Receipts from Players
Payment requests/receipts shall be efficiently and promptly attended to and payments/receipts shall be completely and accurately processed.

2. Minimum Information Requirements
Seal holders shall be required to adequately record certain minimum information relating to player and game activity.

3. Minimum Security Requirements
Information security policies and procedures shall be implemented and maintained to ensure the availability, integrity and confidentiality of gaming operations.

4. Responsible Gaming
A responsible gaming environment that actively discourages problematic gambling shall be established, enforced and monitored.

5. Player and Game Funds
Player balances and game funds shall be sufficiently covered by on de­mand funds.

6. Player Information
Player accounts shall be managed and accounted for in a secure, safe and efficient environment. The privacy and confidentiality of all player infor­mation submitted at any point in time shall be protected from unauthor-ised disclosure.

Fair Gaming

7. Software Development and Maintenance
Software shall be developed, implemented and maintained in a manner representative of best practice standards.

8. Total Gaming Transaction Review
Games shall be random, independent and fair.

9. Server Connectivity Requirements
Minimum game server connectivity requirements shall be met to ensure that players are protected from losses due to connectivity problems.

10. General Game Characteristics
Seal holders shall adhere to game characteristics that ensure a fair game for a player.

11. Disaster Recovery
eCOGRA seal holders shall be able to demonstrate that they can recover from a system disaster.

12. System Malfunctions
Both the player and eCOGRA's seal holders shall be protected from sys­tem and hardware malfunctions.

Responsible Conduct

13. Anti-Money Laundering
Preventative and detective controls addressing money-laundering and fraud risks shall be documented and implemented according to the rele­vant points in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) guidelines.

14. Responsible Advertising and Promotions
The seal holder will ensure that players are not misled through advertis­ing or promotional activities, and will ensure that the terms and condi­tions of their promotions are followed.

15 Probity Checks

All key individuals and entities involved with members and operators should be credible and not have criminal records.

The Review of Casino Software

As for the gaming software, this is clearly one of the key areas that must be addressed by a body such as eCOGRA, which has developed a highly comprehensive and practical system testing methodology called Total Gaming Transaction Review (TGTR), an 'outcome-based verification' ap­proach that deviates substantially from the commonly adopted testing of source code which has traditionally been used in the land-based gaming environment (and which has been commonly adopted in the online envi­ronment). This process may be undertaken with minimal disruption to the software provider and operator business activities (which is good for the player), and involves a thorough analysis of every transaction for every game by an independent and trusted third party.

It is important to note that the involvement of more than one independ­ent party in investigating and subsequently monitoring internet casinos and other gambling operators is that each has its own obligation to fulfil and reputation to maintain, meaning that those internet firms coming on board must perform at the required level in order to achieve all-round success and to continue the integrity of those involved.

Hopefully the proliferation of online gambling ventures will prompt yet more support for organisations like eCOGRA, allowing would-be internet gamblers to dip their toes into the ocean that is online gaming with maximum confidence.

You can read more about eCOGRA on its website at www.ecogra.org

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