Not sure which online casinos to trust and which to avoid? Stick with the casino sites that have a seal of approval from eCOGRA, an approved testing agency responsible for auditing some of the most trusted names in online casino software. We explain more about eCOGRA, what this organisation does to support online players and where you can play at the best online casinos with eCOGRA certification.
What is eCOGRA?
eCOGRA (the eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) is the leading independent authority for third-party testing of online casino sites and game software. The organisation was established in London in 2003 to provide a framework for testing online casinos, their games and their random number generators for fairness and unbiased results.
eCOGRA is run by qualified professionals, with staff that have considerable experience in legal, financial, business administration and IT auditing, many of which hold certification from the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA). When auditing a casino site, eCOGRA employees must work within the codes of conduct set by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB). It is this high level of professionalism and compliance standards that affords eCOGRA the position as the leading testing and auditing authority for the online gaming industry.
eCOGRA has received official accreditation from several of the world’s leading online gambling jurisdictions, having authority to regularly perform onsite audits and reviews to gaming operators located within such jurisdictions as Alderney, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Italy, Kahnawake, Latvia, Malta, Spain, United Kingdom and others.
What does eCOGRA do?
Ultimately, the aim of eCOGRA is to ensure online casino vendors are operating above board and providing a safe environment for players. eCOGRA approval means online players can enjoy the confidence in knowing they are protected by a knowledgably body that has their best interest in mind. To date, eCOGRA has performed over 500 compliance reviews at some of the world’s leading online gambling sites, including many of our top-rated online casinos.
For an online casino to receive certification from eCOGRA, it must adhere to a list of strict guidelines during the auditing process. When auditing an online casino to see if it eligible for the eCOGRA seal of approval, eCOGRA’s focus is on these major objectives:
- The protection of vulnerable customers
- The prevention of underage gaming
- Combating fraudulent and criminal behaviour
- Protection of customer privacy and safeguarding of information
- Prompt and accurate customer payments
- Fair gaming (e.g. RNG and RTP game evaluations)
- Responsible marketing
- Commitment to customer satisfaction and support
- Secure, safe and reliable operating environment
When an online casino vendor has approval from eCOGRA, you can rest assured it ticks all the right boxes in relation to the above.
As well as auditing and certifying online casinos, eCOGRA also services software developers. Many of the leading providers of online gaming software have eCOGRA certification, including NetEnt, Microgaming, Quickspin and Extreme Live Gaming.
Why play at eCOGRA certified online casinos?
When playing at an online casino, it is important you stick with reputable sites that are legally licensed and have been tested for player fairness and security. This ensures the site is operating fully above board and that a dodgy vendor hasn’t just started up some cowboy operation on the Internet in the hopes of scheming some money out of unsuspecting players.
When playing at an eCOGRA approved site you are playing at a venue that has been thoroughly audited to ensure it is offering fair gaming systems, is protecting personal player information at all times, is protected with adequate secure socket layer (SSL) encryption security and is safeguarding minors and at-risk players. eCOGRA will also act as a voice for online players and provide assistance if a player has a dispute with a registered casino vendor or is having trouble receiving payment. There is an official dispute resolution process that can be initiated via the official eCOGRA website.
How to identify an eCOGRA certified casino site
Given the eCOGRA Seal of Approval is proof of an online casinos upstanding reputation, you would assume this information would be made more visible than it is. The reality is you may need to dig around a little bit to find out if a casino is certified by eCOGRA. The easiest way is to scroll all the way to the bottom of the casino’s homepage, where the eCOGRA certification will usually be listed in the fine print along with the casino’s jurisdiction license and other icons like the banking methods the site supports and the software it uses. If you can’t find the eCORGRA seal there, go to the ‘About’ section of the casino as this will usually list all the licenses and certifications held by the vendor.
Still can’t figure out whether the casino is certified by eCOGRA? Ask the customer support team using the live chat function, or stick with the online casinos recommended on our site, which have approval from eCOGRA or similar third-party testing authorities.
Best online casinos with eCOGRA approval
Many of our top-rated online casinos have approval from eCOGRA – in fact, it is one of the major factors we look for before considering whether a casino is worthy of our recommendation or not. Some of the best online casinos with eCOGRA certification include:
If you are unable to access any of these sites, it could be because the casino does not accept players from your country and has recognised your IP address as a blocked region. As the online gambling laws vary dramatically between different countries, not all players are accepted at all eCOGRA certified sites. For a list of the top-rated online casinos that allow players from your country, refer to our casino table at the top of the page which has been geo-targeted to recognise the country you are playing from and will only recommend casinos that accept players from your area.
