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eCOGRA

eCOGRA

eCOGRA is a name that is often seen at online casinos around the world. However, not too many people know exactly what it does. eCOGRA is actually one of the most important organisations to look for when it comes to knowing if an online casino is legitimate and safe. Our guide will tell you everything that you need to know about what eCOGRA does and how seeing the eCOGRA sign will let you know that you’re playing at a trustworthy online casino.

Reading time: 4 minutes.

Background on eCOGRA

eCOGRA stands for eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance. It’s an organisation that has been around the iGaming world for almost 20 years. It’s dedicated to keeping players safe and ensuring that online casinos behave in a fair and secure manner. Because the demand for new online casinos is so large it means that a lot have appeared in a short space of time. eCOGRA devotes its time to making sure that players are protected when they play at online casinos. There are a number of different ways that the organisation does this. Being signed up to eCOGRA isn’t a requirement of online casinos, so if you see an online casino that shows the eCOGRA logo it means that they have willingly agreed to have their operations looked over by eCOGRA. It means that not only do they have nothing to hide, but it also means that they are more likely to be trustworthy and secure.

How did eCOGRA come about?

eCOGRA was actually started by two of the biggest names in online gaming. Microgaming and 888.com. Both of these companies had noticed that fewer players were trusting the online casino market and the number of players was dwindling because of it. It meant that the number of illegitimate online casinos was cutting into the market for legitimate sites. The two companies founded the organisation in order to try and combat less reputable online casinos. This was back in 2003 and since then the non-profit organisation has gone from strength to strength. eCOGRA now offers a number of different services to both players and casino operators in order to maintain its position as one of the most trusted organisations within the iGaming industry.

What do eCOGRA do?

eCOGRA first and foremost offers a seal to online casino operators that can be added to its website. This seal will show that the casino is a fair operator and will not attempt to take advantage of players in illegal ways. In order to get this seal operators will have to carry out a number of tasks to show that they are honest operators.

The first is to submit to a number of honesty requirements. This includes regular audits being carried out on the different casino games that are available to players. The audits most commonly take the form of checking that the games are legitimate versions from the software developer and ensuring that the RNG that is in place is a legitimate one.

eCOGRA also has a self regulation service in place that is designed to ensure that casinos take the appropriate steps to look after its customers. It’s not just online casinos that are covered by eCOGRA either. Software developers also have a seal to show that they have been operating in a fair manner. All audits and tests are carried out by third party testing labs. This is to show that there is no bias from eCOGRA and it is first and foremost dedicated to behaving in a fair manner towards casino operators and software developers. This is shown by how so many of the big names in the industry trust eCOGRA to be fair towards them.

The most essential aspect of eCOGRA is that it’s geared towards looking after the consumers. It also offers a third party mediation service. This service is for customers who have had problems with casino operators in the past. It is only for casinos that have the eCOGRA seal. What eCOGRA will do is attempt to come to a solution that both sides are happy with. While it does not guarantee success, eCOGRA is trusted by consumers the world over. So even as an Indian player, where there are no regulations in place from the government, if you’re playing at an eCOGRA casino you will receive support if you have an issue.

Why eCOGRA is important

Put simply eCOGRA adds to the level of security that is in place for online casino users. It makes sure that casino operators behave in a fair and just manner and they are most of all honest towards customers. While regulators do ensure this to a certain degree, eCOGRA takes things to another level in order to provide peace of mind for casino players. If you want to play at an Indian online casino then the best thing you can do is look for one that has the eCOGRA seal. This, combined with a regulatory licence, will ensure that you are looked after and kept secure.