eCOGRA (eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) is a London-based testing agency and standards organisation in the realm of

online gambling Online gambling is any kind of gambling conducted on the internet. This includes virtual poker, casinos and sports betting. The first online gambling venue opened to the general public was ticketing for the Liechtenstein International Lottery in ...

. The company was established in 2003 in the United Kingdom at the behest of the online gaming industry as the first

industry self-regulation Industry self-regulation is the process whereby members of an industry, trade or sector of the economy monitor their own adherence to legal, ethical, or safety standards, rather than have an outside, independent agency such as a third party entit ...

system. eCOGRA is a testing laboratory, inspection body, and certification body, specializing in the certification of online gaming software and the audit of Information Security Management Systems. The organisation has been awarded the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)

ISO ISO is the most common abbreviation for the International Organization for Standardization. ISO or Iso may also refer to: Business and finance * Iso (supermarket), a chain of Danish supermarkets incorporated into the SuperBest chain in 2007 * Iso ...

approvals ISO/I EC17025:2017 : General Requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories for Bulgaria, Denmark, Great Britain, Greece, Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden, ISO/

IEC The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC; in French: ''Commission électrotechnique internationale'') is an international standards organization that prepares and publishes international standards for all electrical, electronic and r ...

17020:2012 : Requirements for the operation of various types of bodies performing inspection for Greece, Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland, ISO/

17065:2012 : Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services to provide product conformity certification, for Greece, Netherlands and Sweden and ISO/I EC 17021-1:2015 – Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems.

Regulated Market Certification Activities

Since the widespread regulation of online gambling in various jurisdictions, the company's focus has moved from pure self-regulation enabling player protection to the provision of

regulatory compliance In general, compliance means conforming to a rule, such as a specification, policy, standard or law. Compliance has traditionally been explained by reference to the deterrence theory, according to which punishing a behavior will decrease the viol ...

services in

regulated markets A regulated market (RM) or coordinated market is an idealized system where the government or other organizations oversee the market, control the forces of supply and demand, and to some extent regulate the market actions. This can include tasks ...

. It is approved as a testing agency, inspection body and designated certification entity in various online gambling jurisdictions including Alderney, Buenos Aires Province, Buenos Aires City, Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, First Cagayan, Gibraltar, Great Britain, Greece, Isle of Man, Italy, Jersey, Kahnawake, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, New Jersey (Security), Ontario (Canada), Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

ISO/IEC 27001 Certification Services

eCOGRA was the first testing laboratory that specialises in online gambling to have been awarded ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 accreditation, which is a prerequisite for carrying out third-party ISO/IEC 27001:2013 audits and accredited certifications of Information Security Management Systems. eCOGRA provides ISO/IEC 27001:2013 pre-certification assessments and accredited certifications, utilising the framework required in the ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 and ISO/IEC 27006:2015 standards. eCOGRA has instituted an independent Impartiality Committee. The purpose of the Committee is to help safeguard the integrity of ISO/IEC 17021-related audits and certification of management systems, by enabling a consultation between appropriate interested parties to advise on matters affecting impartiality within eCOGRA including openness and public perception.

eGAP (eCOGRA Generally Accepted Practices)

The eGAP regime has particular emphasis on fair and

responsible gambling Responsible Gambling, also known as Safer Gambling, is the set of social responsibility initiatives by the gambling industry – including governments, regulators, operators, and vendors – to ensure the integrity and fairness of their operation ...

, and these eGAP requirements are enforced through onsite reviews and continuous monitoring. One of the criteria used to determine trustworthy, reliable and safe online casinos is the approval of the organization. eCOGRA’s Safe and Fair Seal is awarded to online gaming operators that comply with eCOGRA’s Generally Accepted Practice (eGAP) Requirements covering player protection, fair gaming and responsible operator behaviour. Applicants are assessed annually through onsite compliance reviews by eCOGRA compliance specialists. The eCOGRA Certified Software Seal is awarded to software suppliers which are able to demonstrate compliance with the applicable eGAP Requirements. Software developers or platform providers are assessed annually against software supplier requirements which pay particular focus on the

internal controls Internal control, as defined by accounting and auditing, is a process for assuring of an organization's objectives in operational effectiveness and efficiency, reliable financial reporting, and compliance with laws, regulations and policies. A broad ...

governing the development processes and controls as well as the IT internal control and security environment.Casino Without Game Limit
/ref> The company’s self-regulatory compliance activities are focused on the following policy objectives: # The protection of vulnerable customers # The prevention of underage gambling # Combating fraudulent and criminal behaviour # Protection of

customer privacy Consumer privacy is information privacy as it relates to the consumers of products and services. A variety of social, legal and political issues arise from the interaction of the public's potential expectation of privacy and the collection and di ...

and safeguarding of information # Prompt and accurate customer payments # Fair gaming (e.g. RNG and game evaluations) # Responsible marketing # Commitment to customer satisfaction and support # Secure, safe and reliable operating environment

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:eCOGRA Gambling regulators Information technology organisations based in the United Kingdom Mayfair Organisations based in the City of Westminster Regulators of the United Kingdom