eCOGRA Testing Accreditation for Internet Gambling Upgraded

Posted by Gambling News | Gambling Industry News,Gambling News | Friday 13 April 2012 8:05 pm

The independent testing and standards company eCOGRA has successfully completed a rigorous assessment by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service to achieve an extension to its International Organisation for Standardisation ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation.

The extension enables the company to include the Danish Gambling Authority’s Technical Standards and Change Management Programme to its area of professional expertise.

"The practical application of this extended accreditation is that, along with other criteria required by the strict Danish regulator, we are now qualified to perform certification work and provide guidance to online gambling companies in the Danish market, and those seeking licenses to operate, " said eCOGRA CEO Andrew Beveridge this week.

The extension qualifies eCOGRA to operate in all five Danish certification categories:

  • Gambling functions;
  • Business functions;
  • Preventative measures to counter money laundering of proceeds and financing of terrorism;
  • Vulnerability and penetration testing; and
  • Change management

Beveridge says that there has been significant interest in eCOGRA’s capabilities in regulatory compliance, and he is confident that his company’s professional teams of auditors and IT specialists will be engaged to perform certification work for almost a third of Danish-licensed operators.

"Since 2003 we have accrued a considerable fund of experience and knowledge, having conducted literally hundreds of technical and financial inspections, reviews and assessments for many of the leading operators in the internet gambling industry, " Beveridge said. "This has generated more business for us as the regulatory scene in Europe especially has evolved and expanded."

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eCOGRA Acquired by Management and Strengthens its Independent Status

Posted by Gambling News | Gambling Industry News,Gambling News | Monday 28 March 2011 10:17 am

The London-based player protection and standards body eCOGRA has undergone a change in ownership following a successful management buy-out (MBO) initiative led by chief executive Andrew Beveridge.

The organisation announced this week that the original Founding Members of eCOGRA, three major and competing online gambling groups, had agreed to the change. In future the new ownership structure of eCOGRA would not include software or other service providers or operators enabling it to be truly independent in the discharge of its audit, advisory, compliance and seal awarding activities.

The Founding Members note that the company had established itself as a credible and respected industry player with major business connections since its launch in 2003, and that it is now appropriate that the founding ties be severed, allowing eCOGRA to make its own way in the world of online gambling.

Staffed by IT, responsible gambling and audit specialists, eCOGRA offers a wide range of professional business services to internet gambling companies, and enjoys business relationships with major trade associations and several international licensing jurisdictions.

The company’s Safe and Fair seal of accreditation has become a reliable indicator of operators committed to high standards of commercial conduct, customer respect and fair gaming, and is held by 150 websites, belonging to some of the most successful tier one companies in the industry.

"The industry is maturing, and eCOGRA must be part of that evolving process," Beveridge said this week. "The trend toward national or state regulatory regimes around the world is just one of the areas in which our professional services are increasingly in demand by companies and jurisdictions committed to ensuring that they are well prepared in all respects to meet the highest international standards."

Beveridge revealed that eCOGRA’s services and operational structure would remain largely unchanged.

"We will continue to offer unbiased player dispute mediation through our Fair Gaming Advocate, and our TGTR outcomes-based software monitoring system is proving increasingly popular with non-accredited entities and will if anything be expanded," he said.

"Our policy of independently assessing operators for the award of the Safe and Fair seal, and subsequent review and monitoring activity, will remain in place, and the provision of professional business services and advisory consulting remains a key element in our commercial offering and will become an increasing important part of the services offered.

"Importantly, our strong commitment to responsible gambling will continue, specifically in our operator training initiatives and the requirements enshrined in our standards."

"Going forward eCOGRA intends to become a major force in helping shape new gaming regulations, offering specialised advice and assistance to existing and emerging jurisdictions and be at the forefront of establishing industry standards".

The MBO has scored an important coup in bringing eCOGRA’s former Independent Directors onto the new Board.

"Our chairman will be Michael Hirst OBE, supported by a directorate that includes Bill Henbrey, Bill Galston OBE, Frank Catania and myself," said Beveridge, adding that biographies were available on the eCOGRA website at http://www.ecogra.org

"We are very fortunate that these highly experienced and respected figures in the industry will continue to make their considerable knowledge and business expertise available to us," he said.

Michael Hirst said that the original mandate of the eCOGRA Independent Directors had been to continually improve the credibility of the industry, ensure players were properly protected and develop appropriate standards and regulations.

"Those basic principles will remain our goal in addition to increased competitive commercial activity," he said.

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Bet365 Offers an Award-Winning Online Gambling Experience

Posted by Gambling News | Casino News,Gambling News | Wednesday 22 December 2010 5:29 pm

Bet365 has been officially recognised as the best online gambling company, having received a string of accolades in the recent eGaming Review Awards 2010.

The company received the coveted Operator of the Year title in this prestigious awards ceremony, confirming its position as the number one operator in a very competitive market. bet365 was also named Casino Operator of the Year, as well as picking up the award for Best Website Performance.

There was further recognition of the company’s success as bet365 took top spot in eGaming Review’s annual Power 50 league, which ranks the most influential operators. Make sure you sign up now and find out for yourself why bet365 offers such an award-winning online gambling experience!

Don’t forget, you can now keep up-to-date with the important Betting News stories on bet365’s Twitter feed. Simply follow @bet365_news to get all the latest updates and be among the first to hear about the exciting betting opportunities available with bet365.

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eCOGRA Approval for GamblingIn.co.uk Online Gambling Portal

Posted by Gambling News | Gambling Industry News,Gambling News | Tuesday 15 June 2010 10:38 am

GamblingIn.co.uk is a popular internet portal used as a one stop shop for online gambling fans; in particular fans from the UK. Being UK specific allows for the edge they require to offer members the best, most up-to-date and beneficial information pertinent to their online play. This site is now eCOGRA approved offering additional support, benefit and security for both hardcore and fun seeking gamblers.

eCOGRA is a player protection, industry standards based organisation, they operate out of London and are a non-profit organisation. The aim of this organisation is to perfect frameworks for best practice in operation and other areas of concern for consumers. They are a consumer protection service and sites certified under the seal of eCOGRA have met and adhered to highly specific criteria.

The chief aim of eCOGRA is to certify gambling sites and subsidiary operations which comply with the maximum standards of responsible and fair gambling. They are also tasked with auditing for fairness which expands its scope of service to professional management and superior operating standards. They currently have 70 leading online gambling operators, 145 online gambling sites, and 25 leading software companies that they work with on an ongoing basis. The eCOGRA Safe and Fair seal ensures continuous monitoring at the highest industry levels. Services include:

  • Operators’ Safe and Fair Seal
  • Certified Software Seal
  • Payout and RNG Reviews
  • Accredited Testing Agency and Independent Auditor
  • Affiliate Trust Seal
  • Reputable Portals Seal
  • Quality Assurance

GamblingIn.co.uk is a premier portal for UK gambling offering access to special bonuses, reviews, news, and technology updates regarding UK online casinos, poker rooms, bingo halls and sports betting sites.

Spending in excess of £700 million per annum is taking place at UK online gambling sites. This figure is expected to grow to as much as £1.6 billion during 2010 and gambling sites are giving away a great deal of money to secure favourable custom.

Membership of GamblingIn.co.uk guarantees only the best referrals of online gambling sites – a sure fire way to ensure the best possible UK online gambling experience. Although GamblingIn.co.uk is not responsible for the actions of these sites, their recent eCOGRA approval means they may be used with absolute confidence and that every site advertised is reputable as well as meets the very best standards.



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Reputable UK Gambling Portal Helps People to Avoid Online Casino Scams

Posted by Gambling News | Gambling Industry News,Gambling News | Wednesday 3 March 2010 2:26 pm

With online gambling popularity on the rise, casino scams often catch players off guard. There are likely thousands of gambling sites online today, so how does one know which are reputable and which are merely scams? A new reliable gambling portal called Gambling In UK (GamblingIn.co.uk) helps UK gamblers quickly find reputable venues for online betting including sports betting, casinos, poker and bingo.

Unfortunately, scam sites lure non-suspecting players in with promises to "win big" when the goal of the site is actually to take a visitor for all he’s worth and sometimes even steal users’ identities! UK players can now rest easy using a dependable gambling portal like "GamblingIn.Co.UK". The company researches and provides links to reputable casino sites, sports betting sites and more to help UK gamers quickly find a trustworthy source of gambling entertainment.

As for those who love online betting, UK residents are relieved to have multiple online gambling sites at their fingertips without worry of scams or even sites that are operated poorly.

"It’s convenient for our users to be able to visit one trustworthy site that has already done the leg work in finding quality casino or online betting venues," states Aleksejs Krivorucenko, owner and operator of GamblingIn.Co.UK.

Gambling In UK goes a step further than merely providing a lot of links to recommended gambling sites. Users will also find helpful information and resources about gambling including tips, a gambling forum to chat with others or get advice, advertising opportunities for related companies, and other great benefits.

The company has been in the online gambling industry for more than eight years. As a proud member of online communities such as GPWA (Gambling Portal Webmasters Association), APCW (Association of Players, Casinos, and Webmasters) and CAP (Casino Affiliate Programs), Gambling In UK brings users only the best and safest UK brands in the online betting industry. The company launched the website portal – GamblingIn.co.uk – in 2008.

Readers seeking trustworthy online casinos and other gambling sites in the UK can learn more at the Web address below:
http://www.gamblingin.co.uk

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