Betclic has become the latest online gambling industry company to receive the dubious honor of an eCOGRA seal of approval. The casino, poker and sportsbook side of Betclic Everest joins around 146 other online gaming industry sites in gaining the organization’s “Safe and Fair” seal.
The audit and review was carried out by Bradley Khoury, who commented, “The cooperation and dedication of the Betclic compliance personnel accompanied by unrestricted access to knowledgeable staff and transparent information facilitated a highly comprehensive review. The organisation demonstrated strong resilience and noteworthy commitment to compliance.”
eCOGRA chief executive also added that Betclic “has also achieved compliance with the European Gaming and Betting Association’s standards.”
For those of you who are wondering, eCOGRA stands for e-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance. It was formed back in late 2002 when two companies from the online gaming industry, 888.com and Microgaming, decided that players needed more protection and the group has acted as a mediator in disputes ever since.
Their goal from the off was to develop a list of accepted standards and practices for the gaming industry. Out of this, the “Safe and Fair” seal was born with the first one awarded way back in early 2004.
You’d have thought this might have warned off a number of companies clamoring to gain their approval as it’s essentially two companies regulating the rest of the gaming industry – well that was how it was from the start. This conflict of interest shadowed their early years and it’s still not entirely clear how they remain impartial. The group was under a tight reign from the off and ever since it’s been hard for them to break free when it comes to branding. It just goes to show that once you establish brand values it’s very hard to shake them off.
In order for them to be even more effective they need to be much more vocal in getting countries like France to stop with over regulation. Right now, they act as if there is no such thing as too much regulation, which we know is not true. Their basic idea is a good one though and in that sense we wish them every success.
