eCOGRA

When it comes to ensuring you’re playing at a secure and reputable online casino, eCOGRA is a name you want to remember. In fact, we don’t recommend players deposit funds to any gambling site that isn’t fully supported by this organisation. When it comes to legitimate Internet casino operations, think of eCOGRA as the messiah that keeps the virtual gambling community intact.

What is eCOGRA?

eCOGRA (the eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) was established in London in 2003 and has become the leading independent and internationally accredited testing agency. The organisation exists to serve the online gaming industry, providing certification and auditing of gaming systems, software and interactive casinos.

Their aim is to ensure that gambling sites on the Web are run fairly and responsibly, retaining the same level of player security and legitimacy expected in a land based casino.

This is not some lemonade stand operation; eCOGRA is run by a highly skilled team of professionals with experienced backgrounds in legal, accounting, IT auditing, financial services and business administration. They employ the same level of auditing standards as used by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (‘IAASB’) to ensure the same level of appraisal is upheld for all organisations.

Currently eCOGRA provides compliance services to close to 100 of the industry’s biggest names in casino operation and gaming software, including Microgaming, Net Entertainment, Unibet, 32Red, Ladbrokes and the Fortune Lounge Group. The company has accomplished over 500 compliance reviews worldwide, including on each of our recommended casinos like Roxy Palace, Leo Vegas, Guts Casino, Royal Vegas Casino and Thrills Casino.

eCOGRA has been accredited by various online gaming jurisdictions including Alderney, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, First Cagayan, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Italy, Kahnawake, Latvia, Malta, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Benefits of playing at an eCOGRA approved casino

When taking into consideration the huge range of support that eCOGRA offers, playing at an eCOGRA approved casino is more a necessity than a preference. As a worldwide operation, this organisation is particularly helpful for Australian players who need an extra voice when dealing with internationally run casinos as having an authoritative voice can work wonders if any issues arise.

The benefits of playing at an eCOGRA approved casino include:

Customer protection – safeguarding vulnerable players by ensuring casinos only accept players over the age of 18, support responsible gambling practices and have restrictions in place for problem gamblers. They also help players deal with casino operators if any disputes occur.

Privacy – auditing of casinos to ensure that players private and financial details are not accessed for any reasons other than playing on the site, are not shared with any third parties or used in any unlawful way. They act as a combat towards any possible theft or fraudulent behaviour.

Payment support – ensuring that players are paid promptly and correctly, helping punters with any payment disputes if they airse. They deal with any casino that’s refusing to pay winnings and make sure money is paid rightfully, holding no bias to the situation.

Fair gaming – auditing of gaming systems to ensure things like Random Number Generators (RNGs) are legitimate and unbiased and that all games provide impartial results. Prevents casino operators from the possibility of cheating.

Responsible marketing – makes sure that casinos aren’t spamming players with unwanted or excessive email campaigns or offers, or making unsolicited telemarketing calls. Checks to make sure the casino is adhering to the words of its terms and conditions.

Safety and security – assures that the casino is operating safely and securely, with the proper SSL security encryption in place to protect players at all times.

Put simply, eCOGRA is the authoritative voice to ensure that the online gaming industry is running lawfully and above board and that players are being provided with the right customer service, support and respect that you’d expect to find when using any other professional product or service.

In the bizarre and anonymous world of the Internet, a body like eCOGRA is imperative to ensure legitimate operation and safeguarding against player vulnerabilities.

How to tell if a casino is regulated by eCOGRA

First and foremost, the easiest way to tell if a casino is regulated by eCOGRA is to refer to the list of casinos recommended here by RegulatedCasinos.com as we only endorse venues that are backed by eCOGRA. Otherwise, you can tell if a casino is eCOGRA supported by the Safe and Fair Seal.

The eCOGRA Safe and Fair Seal is awarded to casinos who comply with the organisations rules and requirements regarding fair gaming, player protection and responsible operator behaviour. A casino earns this seal of approval by applying directly to eCOGRA, who then provide a full audit of the site on an annual basis as well as providing regular monitoring and review. If a casino has this seal, it will typically be displayed at the bottom of the sites homepage along with any other licensing and industry approval stamps.

To protect against any rogue operator with Photoshop skills who may simply copy and paste the Safe and Fair Seal, you can tell if the seal is legitimate by clicking on it to ensure it has an active link. The seal should take you directly to the eCOGRA websites certification page which will list the review statistics of that particular casino along with its percentage payout report and randomness review.

The seal may not always be displayed. You can refer to a casinos ‘About Us’ of FAQ section for further details regarding its licensing and regulation approvals if you are still unsure.