Established in 2003, with the first seals awarded in early 2004, eCOGRA has demonstrated that it is a serious vehicle for enforced, self-imposed regulation and quality assurance, despite initial player apprehension about the "independence" of its directors. A visit to any "watchdog" forum can confirm that by and large eCOGRA measures up to its mission " . . . to be an independent entity that provides important player protections to consumers, including that operators are honest, games are fair, monetary deposits are safe and winning bets are paid in a timely manner."

Andrew Beveridge, eCOGRA's CEO, has taken the time to discuss eCOGRA, player advocacy and the online gambling industry with us. Thank you and welcome, Andrew.

CGP: Andrew, what gaming software platforms (other than the giant Microgaming) have been approved by eCOGRA?

Andrew: In addition to Microgaming, Virtual Holdings (the parent company of Random Logic, software supplier to 888.com and Pacific Poker) is also a founding member. A recently added member is Ongame, software supplier to PokerRoom.com, so that in effect we now have on board the two largest suppliers to the online casino industry, and three of the top six suppliers to the online poker business. In practical terms, that means that seal operations handle well over fifty percent of the global online casino and poker room business.

It's important to understand that we don't actually award the seal to the software providers; it is the online gaming sites that use the software of our members that are eligible to receive the seal. However the review process does also include probity checks on the software providers' major shareholders and management, a thorough inspection of the entire software development environment and comprehensive testing for software fairness.

CGP: When do you expect to have approved bingo and sportbooks software and operators under The Seal?

Andrew: Ideally we'd like to be involved in the self-regulation of this part of the industry, however it has been a significant effort just to make sure we are adequately addressing the regulation of online casinos and poker. Even in these areas it's a constant effort to make sure we stay abreast of new developments, such as mobile technology and multi-player casinos. With limited resources we'll probably continue to focus in the foreseeable future on casino and poker due to their relative importance in the online gambling industry. In order to maintain our own credibility and that of the approved sites, we need to make sure our standards are thoroughly researched, implemented and monitored, and there can't be any shortcuts in this process.

CGP: Are there any gaming softwares that have been specifically disapproved? If so, what are they?

Andrew: Prior to a software provider becoming a member, we make a preliminary assessement together with one of the independent audit firms on our Audit Panel as to the organisation's ability to meet our standards. If compliance looks probable, then we'll proceed with the membership process which is only then followed by the eGAP inspection. Each of our current members had to do a fair amount of work in specific areas prior to submitting to the eGAP inspection, and we provided guidance through much of this process, which conceivably can take up to a year.

It's worth noting that we've been approached by over 30 other software suppliers seeking information about membership, but the considerable financial commitment and effort required to comply with our standards makes the membership application process a little tougher than what these organisations may initially anticipate.

CGP: How many Online Casinos have been denied the seal and have any holders of the seal ever "lost" their seal?

Andrew: Most of the 55 approved casinos were denied the seal following their first inspection. The process is such that the audit firm highlights the areas of non-compliance, and the casino is then provided with an opportunity to rectify these areas. A follow-up inspection is then done on-site (as we require substantiated evidence that there is appropriate compliance) and ultimately the site will be awarded the seal once they comply fully with our standards. These are serious and detailed studies of every aspect of casino operation, with particular emphasis on those that interface with the player, and this demands both commitment and determination on the operators' part to pass. In return, the operator gets not only our seal, but a highly professional, independent business assessment of the operation that can improve business efficiency and performance.

To date no seal holder has lost the seal. Obviously we pick up areas where compliance has slipped, but as long as the infringement is not too material, and the will exists to address it we provide the operator with an opportunity to rectify the shortcomings within a limited time frame. Non-conformance thereafter could well result in the seal being revoked, and I do know that our independent directors who control the Seals Compliance Committee would not hesitate to act if they thought standards were being flouted.

Along with software fairness, information and player security and payment standards, eCOGRA is also involved in the politics and legalities of online gaming.

CGP: Andrew, in your opinion, what is the outlook for online gambling legally? Is Great Britain any closer to licensing online gambling establishments? What is eCOGRA doing politically to affect online gambling positively?

Andrew: We're not really active on the legal and political front, and there are several industry trade associations whose main focus is to satisfy the legal and political agendas of their members which comprise software suppliers and operators. eCOGRA is essentially about player protection, fair gaming and responsible operator behavior. That being said though, we are currently advising a number of jurisdictions in the area of setting standards and the appropriate testing methodologies.

Developments in the United Kingdom are especially encouraging, as provision has been made in the new Gambling Act for interactive gambling, a new Gambling Commission has been formed to draft and implement regulations, and offices have been secured in Birmingham, England. The indications are that the new controlling body, headed by Peter Dean who is highly experienced in regulation is taking a consultative approach that bodes well for the industry when it takes over in 2007.

Britain's new controlling body for gambling will be officially launched in October this year and is already planning to meet the industry at the next Betting Show,

There is no doubt in my mind that this will be serious and highly professional regulation, and that is good for the industry in Britain, which is increasingly being perceived as a desirable jurisdiction for respectable businesses. It means more protection for the player, and that's a prime goal we can share.

Elsewhere, geographical jurisdictions (eCOGRA operates across international boundaries) such as Alderney, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man are all improving their regulatory climates and that will hopefully encourage other licensors to follow suit and improve controls and dispute handling.

The progressive developments in the UK are being closely watched by other governments, and will no doubt have a beneficial impact through this channel, too.

The United States remains, as always a confusing legal and political climate where we are unlikely to see positive and wide-reaching improvements in the recognition and regulation of Internet gambling in the immediate future. But I remain optimistic that the example set by the UK may help introduce a more rational approach there.

The outlook in general is very encouraging in my personal view, and we will continue to make available to others our considerable regulatory experience should they wish to exchange views with us. I think the growing number of large, successful and professionally run online gambling companies that have evolved is ideally positioned to complement this more regulated environment, and we will see more industry consolidation with this new maturity.

Most recently, eCOGRA has launched the Responsible Gaming Initiative, with the full support of its seal holders. All sites will be required to carry a prominent Responsible Gaming section in which the dangers of under-age and problem gambling are explained. 7 day "cooling off," 6 month self-exclusion or deposit limiting mechanisms will be provided for gamblers who suspect they may be in difficulties. Staff will be on the alert for playing and financial patterns that may indicate an addictive gambler.

CGP: This seems a very admirable endeavor on the part of eCOGRA and seal holders. Tell me a little about the new Responsible Gaming Initiative. How do you expect it impact the industry as a whole? Do you think the addicted or underage gambler will simply avoid eCOGRA Seal Casinos?

Andrew: That is not our objective - our goal is to identify and exclude underage gamblers as soon as possible, and provide facilities whereby gamblers with a potential problem can test themselves and then act accordingly to either give up gambling altogether or exclude themselves for a safe period of time of their choosing or limit their accounts. We want to ensure that our seal casinos do not promote gambling to under-aged or problem gamblers, and we seek to train our staff in the professional indicators of a problem gambler so that appropriate advice can be offered where necessary.

In short, our objective is to go considerably further than merely placing a GA link or something similar on seal casinos, although we recognise the excellent work such bodies do and will continue to steer troubled players to them.

This is a complicated field, and we have followed our usual practice of engaging with experts in our planning. We have partnered with the specialised international G4 organisation which has extensive experience and professional skills and is helping us to construct policies and eGAPs, train casino managements and introduce the diagnostic tests and Responsible Gaming facilities for seal operations.

The bottom line here is that under-age and addictive gambling is a dangerous element for the casino, the player and the industry; it causes untold distress and financial hardship, it is morally wrong to allow or encourage it and we are therefore committed to taking serious steps to prevent it wherever we can.

CGP: What is next Andrew? Do you anticipate any standards and seal opportunity for portalmasters and casino affiliates?

Andrew: Until now I think we've done a reasonably good job of laying the groundwork for effective self-regulation of online gaming, and I think our success is reflected in the performance and reputation of the sites that have earned our seal.

I can't see us setting standards for portalmasters and affiliates as this is certainly not our area of expertise and we need to remain focused on our principal objective of protecting the player.

The next step is to make consumers more aware that there are responsible organisations in this industry who are willing to invest significantly to ensure the well-being of the players. So the big focus in the near future is going to be on the marketing and education front, but at the same time we'll be careful to ensure that our standards are continually enhanced and the seal holders maintain compliance. Ultimately we're aiming to substantially improve the credibility of the industry as a whole, and no doubt this will benefit all involved.

CGP: We have no doubt of the benefit as well.

Thank you Andrew for taking the time to inform us about eCOGRA, its purview and its plans. Thank you especially for eCOGRA's continued efforts on behalf of players and improving the image of online gaming as a whole.

Casino Gold Pages members wishing to address player issues regarding any eCOGRA seal holder, listed below, can find the guidelines and form here:

http://www.ecogra.com/dispute.asp

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Cindy is a Gold Pages Administrator and Author. Striving to provide the behind the scenes world of Online Casino Gambling.