Kahnawake, QC, Canada (ots) -- The Trident group of top-end
online
casinos is among the first four operations awarded the much sought
after e-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA)
seal of quality this week.
Months of rigorous on-site testing by financial and professional
services teams from international audit group PricewaterhouseCoopers
preceded the award, which has been compared to an International
Standards Organisation listing.
"The inspectors were on our premises for long periods, carrying
out extensive probity and financial checks on both company and
management, and conducting practical examination and testing on
everything from our Support facilities and staff to accounting
practices and technical equipment. It was tough but worth it in the
end," says Trident spokesman Scott Gaines.
eCOGRA insists on the inspections, which cover every aspect of a
casino applicant's operations to ensure that these are in compliance
with strict standards laid down in the Generally Accepted Practices
of the Association.
These have been drafted by international evaluation and compliance
experts to address player protection, fair gaming and responsible
operator conduct, and test player protection policies, technical
capabilities and anti-money laundering measures.
Congratulating the first successful seal holders, eCOGRA chief
executive officer Andrew Beveridge said that the seal is designed to
clearly identify reputable and honest gambling venues for the online
gambler.
"Successful applicants are required to be software licensees of an
eCOGRA member, and these companies too have to meet stringent
requirements regarding their products," he said.
Beveridge says that the primary goal is the protection of the
player by requiring the operators to commit to ensuring that the
games are fair, the player will be paid in a timely manner and
treated fairly and with respect, and that the operator will behave
in
a responsible manner.
"Our goal is to prove that responsible companies are involved in
online gambling and to make them readily identifiable to both
consumers and gambling authorities," he said.
"We intend that the eCOGRA seal will become the benchmark 'gold'
standard -- an instant indicator to the player that the site has
been
proven to offer a fair and efficient gambling experience."
The international financial services group PricewaterhouseCoopers
is involved in eCOGRA as a member of the Audit Panel. Apart from
initial and ongoing examinations and inspections on casinos awarded
the seal, the organisation's independent Total Gaming Transactions
Review (TGTR) system is used as an outcomes-based verification on
software fairness. TGTR works with raw data from every single gaming
transaction at a casino, which is directed live to a dedicated
server. Specially designed analytical software then balances,
crosschecks and trends the information to arrive at a zero balance
and an accurate monthly payout percentage.
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