As noted before eCOGRA has extremely high standards that online casinos have to meet in order to obtain their seal of approval. One of those standards are minimum requirements for responsible gaming. The main objective of their responsible requirements are to review the seal holder's web sites. The web sites need to worded and designed in order to protect minors or underage players, problem gambling and player disputes.
Main objectives
In short the operators web site must provide players with all the necessary information that will enable the player to obtain easy information with regards to the above mentioned issues. This ensure a clean and reputable gaming environment that once again should make players feel safe when they play at an casino that caries the eCOGRA seal.
Underage and Illegal Gambling
This is a burning issue with regards to the majority of online casinos. Many countries such as the US are convinced that online gambling is unlicensed. Although this is far from the truth and more a statement that will open debates in senate and hopefully for the power hungry senators eventually get online gambling banned, eCOGRA ensures player safety with regards to ensuring that they stick to the legalities. The following are minimum requirements that the gambling establishment has to adhere to.
- The age restriction must be clearly visible on the casino's web site
- When registering there must be a clear indication of the age restriction at the establishment.
- Recognized filter programs must be clearly indicated with links to it to ensure that players know how to safeguard their minors from playing at online casinos.
- Legal disclaimers must be clearly visible on the web site where the operator makes it clear that underage play are not permitted and that players must be legally permitted by their jurisdiction to be able to participate in online gambling.
- Underage play also include the free play software
Problem Gambling
Probably one of the issues that are mostly disregarded by dodgy operators as they see opportunity instead of serious matter. Problem Gambling is a serious matter and the logical reasoning behind it is that casinos do not want people that are addicted to gambling to destroy themselves financially. The most valuable long term players are those that only play with their disposable income and are able to control themselves in order to benefit in the long run. The following requirements are set under Problem Gambling.
- Operator's must have trained personnel with regards to problem gambling.
- Players must be able to exclude themselves. These issues must be clearly described on the operator's web site.
- Third parties that can be properly identified must be able to request players to be excluded.
- The home page of the operator's web site must contain a clear link to the Player Protection or Responsible Gaming page.
- An acceptable self-eccessment process.
- A list of measures that a player can use must be on the site and easy accessible.
- The operator's responsible gaming policy
- The software must also contain a clear and visible link to these pages.
- Messages with regards to support to responsible Gaming may not be misleading.
- Players must be able to decrease their deposit limits.
- A clock must be available on the screen at all times during play.
- The start time between each slots game shall be at least 3 seconds.
- The free play sites must contain all the same information to responsible gaming as the real money software.
Conclusion
eCOGRA clearly ensures that casinos carrying their seal adhere to honorable and high standards with regards to responsible gambling. Even as far as disputes are concerned the operator must ensure that there are clear mechanisms for it to be handle fair and timeously. I believe that these must be clear indicators of the standards a casino must stick to, to be able to cary the eCOGRA seal. |
