eCOGRA aims to make the world a safer place for online poker players
Disputes and disagreements are part of poker, and liven up any bricks and mortar game, whether it’s a heated home game; or out at a card room or casino, where the services of a tournament director are invaluable.
However it’s a different matter online. Because of the very nature of the internet, players rarely have any meaningful interaction with the people that are behind the poker software, raking in their hard earned cash.
Player-safe gaming is the watchword at the moment and it really can benefit all parties, players and operators alike.
The only people not to prosper are fly-by-night set-ups that can, and have, provided crap service and taken player’s money illegitimately.
To that end, an organistaion called ECOGRA (any ideas what that stands for? Answer at the end of the story…) seeks to certify poker rooms with the ‘Play It Safe’ seal.
When you see one of these seals adorning the homepage of a poker room, you’re in the right place, and the target is give out 100 of these seals of approval.
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.
Some of the important issues that are checked over by the non-profit organisation eCOGRA are: the speed of payouts, fair gaming, responsive and efficient service and responsible operator conduct.
"’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."
At the moment 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. Which can only be a good thing.
ANSWER: eCOGRA stands for eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance
