NEW YORK – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Hard on the heels of its announcement
of 7 new poker room certifications for the "Play It Safe" seal, eCommerce
and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA) today unveiled a new
campaign to increase the number of online casinos and poker rooms committed
to player-safe gaming.
Dubbed the "100 Seals Campaign," the goal is to maintain high standards
while boosting the number of certified top-tier venues entitled to display
eCOGRA's "Play It Safe" seal from 76 to 100 by December 2006.
The campaign is expected to reach additional audiences at the eighth
annual Global Interactive Gaming Summit & Expo (GIGSE) 2006 in Montreal,
Canada. On May 17th at 2.30pm eCOGRA Chairman Michael Hirst will host a
panel entitled, 'Self-Regulation: Best Practices to Play It Safe.'
Panellists will include industry luminaries such as Roy Cooke, Card Player
Magazine, well-known players' advocate Ted Loh, and Andrew Beveridge (CEO
eCOGRA). All GIGSE attendees and media are welcome to participate.
"'Play It Safe' online casinos and poker rooms already handle a
substantial percentage of the total global online gaming business," said
eCOGRA CEO Andrew Beveridge. "We intend to extend the player protection
that is built into our international standards by bringing more top-tier
online gaming software providers and licensees on board before the year's
end."
Right now, more than a dozen casino and poker sites are undergoing
eCOGRA's third-party inspection and monitoring process. The "Play It Safe"
seal helps to attract and retain players, and tells the world that these
sites place players' needs-- trust, honesty and fair gaming, above all
else.
Participants in the 100 Seal Campaign receive:
* Cutting edge, player-sensitive standards, together with independent
inspection, monitoring, enforcement and infrastructure that is applicable
worldwide.
* An independent, London-based "Fair Gaming Advocate" who helps resolve
player disputes in just 48-72 hours on average.
* Professional training, services and marketing support to meet best
international business practices and responsible gaming standards.
* Expertly designed measures and guidelines to curb underage and
problem gambling, backed by personnel training courses.
* One-step-ahead standards to meet future challenges in poker and
mobile gaming.
Beveridge extends an invitation to online gambling software providers
and their licensees: "If you're ready to meet the 21st century challenges
facing the industry, we'd like to invite you to join the 100 Seals Campaign
and become one of the most respected 100 online gaming sites in the world."