Casinos etc. has had more than its fair share of experience with regulatory bodies and certification agencies, but few have made more of an impact on the UK’s online casino environment as eCOGRA.
Founded back in 2003, this London-based independent testing agency and player protection organisation quickly went on to establish itself as one of the pillars of trust within our industry.
eCOGRA focuses on casinos in relation to fair play and responsible gambling practices. Most of their services relate to the certification of online gambling software and RNGs. We’ve found that casinos displaying the eCOGRA seal often have an advantage, especially when players identify this as a marker for enhanced safety and security.
One of the most value-added services eCOGRA provides is operational audits. The audit goes from financial systems to customer support and this can often identify potential issues before they become a problem. This translates to smooth player onboarding, better support, and generally, better reliability in the gaming experience offered.
What impresses us about eCOGRA is its emphasis on responsible gambling. These efforts have proven instrumental in terms of making gambling environments safer. In particular, the introduction of self-exclusion programmes and deposit limits can be seen as having done a lot to protect vulnerable players, alongside helping casinos run more sustainable business models.
In a UK regulatory context, eCOGRA certifications prove a very useful addition to UKGC licensing. We’ve found that casinos with both licensing by UKGC and certification by eCOGRA consistently rank much higher on player trust lists, which can be a competitive advantage in such a crowded market.
eCOGRA-certified casinos generally provide better services. The requirements for the certification are intense and this leads operators to further up their game, which in turn benefits the players. However, we would always advise players check through a host of other factors from game selection and bonuses, to transparency of terms and payment options.
There is always room for improvement in any field, but what eCOGRA has achieved so far has made the online casino landscape in the UK a lot safer and a fairer environment for UK gamblers online.