EGBA And eCOGRA Launch Joint Online Gambling Standards - 07-19-08

July 19 - The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) have introduced new standards aimed at player protection, fair gaming and responsible operator behaviour. These standards add to already strict requirements posed by the EU licensing jurisdictions.

Teh new standards introduce over 170 technical requirements that EGBA members have to adopt. Members will be subject to an annual audit toe be conducted by eCOGRA, who already conduct such audits on its member operators. eCOGRA itself is subject to extensive quality assurance reviews by a leading global audit firm.

This latest move adds to the EGBA's code of conduct.  As legal development is slow, self-regulation is vital in the online gaming and betting industry. The EGBA also ensures that common standards are adopted across European borders.

EGBA Chairman, Norbert Teufelberger said: "These standards are a sign of our commitment to an exemplary level of corporate and social responsibility. They could serve as a basis for reflection at a time when governments and regulators across Europe are trying to find ways to best protect consumers in the online gaming and betting environment."

The standards cover a wide range of areas including

• Promoting responsible gaming, preventing underage gaming and problem gaming;
• A zero tolerance approach to fraud or criminal behaviour;
• Protecting customers? privacy and safeguarding their information;
• Ensuring prompt and accurate customer payments;
• Assessing rigorously and independently the fairness of games;
• Committing to responsible and ethical marketing practice.

eCOGRA CEO Andrew Beveridge added: "Our goal is to ensure that EGBA has a meaningful professional review process for determining each member's compliance with agreed and consistently applied standards, which consumers and regulators have come to expect in the online gaming and betting industry.?

About EGBA:

The EGBA is an association of the leading European gaming and betting operators including Bet-at-home.com, bwin, Digibet, Carmen Media Group, Expekt, Interwetten, PartyGaming and Unibet. It is based in a Brussels and is a non-profit association. It promotes the right of private gaming and betting operators that are regulated and licensed in one Member State to a fair market access throughout the European Union.

About eCOGRA:

eCOGRA sets online standards for gaming and betting and provides an international framework for best operational and player protection practice requirements. These are enforced through inspections and reviews, and continuous monitoring. Companies that have achieved accreditation with eCOGRA are entitled to bear the organisation's "Safe and Fair" seal, indicating to players everywhere that all operational systems and games are continuously monitored to consistently high standards. For more information, go to www.eCOGRA.org

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