eCOGRA Casino
You may not have heard of eCOGRA before, or have seen their seal at the bottom of your favourite online casino and weren’t sure what it was. eCOGRA, which stands for eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance, is the single most reputable third-party seal an online casino can showcase. Since they are an industry leader and innovator that famously instils player confidence with their unmatched services, if they back your casino of choice, you can seriously rest easy.
About the Company
eCOGRA was actually cofounded by Microgaming in 2003. Microgaming is a gaming software provider that introduced the first online casino back in 1994. While Microgaming is probably the most respected and innovative software provider in the industry, it does not exactly instil confidence in eCOGRA’s unbiased approval if a gaming software provider is a managing body. Luckily, eCOGRA became fully independent after a management buyout in 2011, making it completely neutral and solidifying the integrity of their seal. eCOGRA’s autonomy has created a sound, formal self-regulation program that employs a litany of criteria to ensure the safety, trustworthiness, and reliability of online casinos. While they are based in London, they are internationally approved as THE testing agency of player protection and standards enforcement.
About Their Services
As they state proudly on their website, “The underlying philosophy of eCOGRA is based on the achievement of the objectives of player protection, fair gaming and responsible conduct by operators, software providers and relevant service providers.” Their services are split into two larger categories: Approved Testing Agency Services and Self-Regulation Services.
Their Approved Testing Agency Services include being an accredited testing agency of over a dozen online gaming jurisdictions, including the Isle of Man, Malta, Gibraltar, the UK, and other operator hotspots. They also perform information security reviews and assess compliance against security requirements in many jurisdictions, qualified to ensure compliance by gaming operators, software providers, and even governing bodies. They review, data monitor, and analyse random number generators and return to player value to ensure fairness and consistency.
The Self-Regulation Services include their highly coveted Safe and Fair Seal for operators, and their Certified Software Seal for software providers, which are only awarded if the companies match their every requirement detailed in their generally accepted practice. They assess each award-winner annually to ensure that no changes have been made that could compromise the integrity of the seal, and regularly evaluate other online casinos who may be worthy of the certification. They also do affiliate trust seals, security reviews, RNG and RTG reviews, and even approve other testing agencies!
eCOGRA covers the entire spectrum, creating an industry standard that takes a lot of the legwork out of the equation for the players. If the online casino has an eCOGRA seal, the only other questions you have to ask yourself are whether the game selection matches your interest as a player, whether the payment options match your preference, and whether the promotions, like the Welcome Bonuses and comp points, match your level of want.
Some of Their More Notable Clients
eCOGRA’s list of approved online operators makes up a very long list, from some that are available to international players to many that are available strictly to certain countries or jurisdictions. They have approved casinos, the kinds with Pokies, Video Poker, Blackjack, Craps, and other games that pit the players against the casino rather than against other players. They have plenty of approved poker rooms as well, and sportsbooks too. Other approved operators include mobile sites, bingo halls, and group sites (umbrella operators that own multiple casinos, like Vegas Partner Lounge, 888, Fortune Lounge, Casino Rewards, The Betway Group, and the Palace Group). Visit this page to see a list of all their sealholders, where you can also find a list of certified software companies, live dealer rooms, and affiliate websites.