Curious

[bebo67]

I'm curious. If a casino has not been approved by ECOGRA, does that mean it isnt a good casino choice?

 

[dunover]

I'm curious. If a casino has not been approved by ECOGRA, does that mean it isnt a good casino choice?

Eh? ECOGRA is a dispute resolution service in the main and has bugger-all to do with recommending/approving casinos IIRC. In short the answer is no. The UKGC doesn't 'approve' casinos either, simply vets the licensees they operate under. Do you have any list of casinos that ECOGRA 'approve'?

Or more worryingly, are you assuming that when you see an ECOGRA logo at the bottom of a casino's pages that this implies approval? Please don't as it either means absolutely nothing (especially if 'licensed' in Cup-o-cocoa or Costa Lotta) or simply that the casino recognizes them in the event of a dispute. In neither case any approval.

 

[jetset]

I believe that eCOGRA still assists players with problems at any of the online casino operations that it oversees, but my perception is that these days (as more and more national regulators have come into force, along with an increase in player dispute services) it is more aligned to business-to-business activity.

Since 2003 it has offered a professionally staffed regulatory compliance assessment and monitoring service to online gambling operators and continues to do so a.f.a.i.k.

This is increasingly important in a commercial sense for operators faced with diverse and complex requirements from different regulators, and consequently need professional advisory, assessment and inspection services as they make their way through the detailed processes leading to licensing and subsequent compliance.

ECOGRA provides those services, along with ongoing monitoring and reviews to ensure that standards and requirements are maintained, and in that regard its website shows that it still has associations with an impressive list of tier one operators.

Most reputable national regulators have demanding requirements regarding responsible gambling, consumer protection and support, and fair gaming, in which non-compliance can lead to the revocation of licensing. It's therefore a serious concern for online operators, especially in European jurisdictions.

The eCOGRA logo should imo serve as an indication to players (it is not an official national regulatory approval) that the operator has gone to considerable trouble and expense to ensure full compliance with the requisite probity and operational standards in order to obtain worthwhile licensing, and is being continuously monitored to ensure that this remains the case.

In that respect the eCOGRA logo continues to serve a useful purpose in my view.