eCOGRA eGAP Seal

Portal and affiliate promotion: Numerous webmasters and affiliates now promote the benefits to players of frequenting eCOGRA-approved sites. Google ‘eCOGRA’ to see how extensively affiliates are doing this and driving traffic to approved sites.

CEN Workshop Agreement 16259:2014 Certification: The eGAP requirements include the European Committee for Standardisation’s Responsible Remote Gambling Measures, which means operators certified for eGAP compliance will also be compliant with CWA 16259:2014.

Game Fairness Reports: All approved sites have the option to receive independently prepared monthly return to player percentage reports for all categories of casino games, monthly card shuffling reviews for poker games and bi-annual RNG reports.

Fair Gaming Advocate: All players at eCOGRA approved sites have unlimited access to eCOGRA's full-time dispute mediation service at no extra charge for resolving disputes which are generally addressed in less than 48 hours.

Accredited testing agency: eCOGRA is recognised as an approved testing agency by most leading jurisdictions, enabling eCOGRA to address the operator’s jurisdictional compliance requirements in conjunction with eGAP review work required for the Safe and Fair seal.

Regulated Markets Certification: eGAP approvals are an effective way of helping to prepare operators for certification in regulated markets.

Best practice guidelines: Prepared by international auditing firms and other professional organisations, operators receive these guidelines to facilitate implementation of eCOGRA’s eGAP requirements.

Accountability: eCOGRA provides certified software provider and operator management with comfort that appropriate controls, policies and procedures are in place to comply with best practice operational requirements.

Industry-wide recognition: Industry stakeholders such as financial institutions, payment processors, jurisdictions, affiliates and portals recognise that the organisation voluntarily complies with requirements of the highest standard.

Improving industry perceptions: Software provider and operator involvement with eCOGRA enables us to show legislators and other industry stakeholders from all around the world that the industry together is willing to act in the best interests of its customers.

eCOGRA Generally Accepted Practices (eGAP) 2021

It is awarded to those programs that:

• share the eCOGRA vision towards fair and responsible treatment of affiliates and players;
• prove the highest level of integrity; and
• have been reviewed for compliance with the applicable eCOGRA Generally Accepted Practices (‘eGAP’) for affiliate programs.

We currently provide customised output-based RNG and RTP data monitoring, analysis and certification services for over 100 leading online gaming websites, in 13 different languages.

It is worth noting that the results of an online gaming survey involving 11,000 players conducted by Nottingham Trent University showed that 88% of players rate monthly RTP reports prepared by a reputable independent third party as important, and 91% rated RNG fairness reports as important.

These reports are managed by an advanced content management system and accessed by players via an image on the casino homepage.

The Certified Live Dealer seal is awarded to live dealer studios that demonstrate compliance with the applicable eCOGRA Generally Accepted Practices (‘eGAP’).

The Live dealer studios and control practices are assessed annually through a comprehensive onsite compliance review by our compliance specialists.

The requirements that must be achieved have been specifically designed to ensure that this unique form of online gaming complies with practical and relevant operational requirements to provide an assurance of safe and fair gaming.

eCOGRA’s Safe and Fair seal is awarded to those operators which comply with eCOGRA’s Generally Accepted Practice (‘eGAP’) requirements covering player protection, fair gaming, and responsible operator behaviour.

The methodology for testing incorporates a combination of internal control evaluation, which involves an assessment of the effective implementation and monitoring of policies and procedures, and substantive testing, where verification is obtained through inspection of samples, relevant source documentation and visual website representation.

The eGAP requirements combine elements of corporate governance, legal compliance, financial controls, system controls, and operational controls. The nature and size of operations covered require a risk-based approach to the review. Risk categories are assigned to the requirements and the extent of review procedures represent mitigation of the perceived and actual risk. A specific focus is placed on player payments and receipts, record retention, internal security requirements, responsible gaming, player and gaming funds and IT security over player information. High-risk areas of anti-money laundering procedures, control over advertising and promotions and probity requirements are also included.

The Certified Software seal is awarded to software suppliers that demonstrate compliance with the applicable eCOGRA Generally Accepted Practices (‘eGAP’).

Software developers or platform providers are assessed annually through a comprehensive onsite compliance review by our compliance specialists.

The software supplier requirements focus on the internal controls governing development and IT security. Internal controls ensure that software is implemented, maintained and continuously operated in a safe, secure and reliable manner, and in accordance with best practice.