LONDON – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Player protection and online casino
regulator eCOGRA has teamed with the Global Gambling Guidance Group (G4) to
provide more cohesive and formal precautions against underage and problem
gambling.
"The top online casinos regulated by eCOGRA have all made in-house
responsible gambling provision as part of their operational structures, and we
will beef up this vital function through a partnership with the respected and
professional G4 organisation," says Andrew Beveridge, CEO of eCOGRA.
eCOGRA will work with G4 to create a set of policies and procedures that
will set the global benchmark for responsible gaming. eCOGRA Seal casino and
poker operators will be required to implement these detailed policies as part
of the Generally Accepted Practices (eGAP), and compliance will be reviewed on
an ongoing basis by independent auditors.
G4 management have extensive experience with responsible gaming programmes
in both the terrestrial and online environments, and provide a worldwide
accreditation programme. The G4 e-Gaming Code of Practice has already been
successfully implemented at major online site PokerRoom.com, proving to be
both practical and effective.
Top G4 executive Pieter Remmers says that partnering with eCOGRA
dramatically extends the beneficial reach of his organisation's code. "These
51 first rate Seal casinos represent a very significant share of the online
casino gambling sector, and the real enforcement that is part of the eCOGRA
system makes for effective application," he says.
"Although we have other partnerships in process, this is the big one for
us, because eCOGRA will offer brand recognition and allow us to contribute to
their sites. It is the first step in getting their members to come aboard. We
have also held discussions with other groups, like the Interactive Gaming
Council and certain large online poker networks, and those will continue to be
our focus in the short term."
Bill Galston OBE, who is both an independent director of eCOGRA and
Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Gamcare, commented, "We are extremely
pleased with this alliance and the efforts that will be made by the Seal
operators in the area of social responsibility."