eCogra

You will have likely heard the acronym eCogra before and perhaps wondered what it stood for and what service the company behind it provides. eCogra stands for eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance, and it is one of the major testing agencies alongside iTech Labs, BMM Testlabs, and GLI. 

As we often reference eCogra throughout our website, we thought it would be a good idea to give our visitors and members a more detailed breakdown of their services and how they help to keep you safe when playing online casino games and using the platforms that provide them.

Starting Life As a Self Regulatory Body

Unlike many other companies in this field, eCogra has a somewhat different background story. The company was established by what is now known as the 888 Group, Bwin, and Microgaming (which has since changed to Apricot Gaming). 

Established in 2003, when the iGaming industry was practically unregulated, the new company’s purpose was to pay attention to player protection and fair gaming and monitor the companies that had founded it.

Rather than test random number generators or go through license requirements, they started by creating the standards that the industry should follow as a benchmark for honesty and integrity.

eCogra Regulatory Milestones

• 2005: Approval from the jurisdiction of Kahnawake.
• 2006: Approval from the jurisdiction of First Cagayan.
• 2007: Approval from the jurisdiction of Gibraltar.
• 2008: Approval from the jurisdiction of the Isle of Man.
• 2011: Approval from the jurisdictions of Italy, Malta, and Spain.
• 2012: Approval from the jurisdictions of Alderney, Denmark, Great Britain, and Latvia.
• 2013: Approval from the jurisdiction of Estonia.
• 2014: Approval from the jurisdictions of Bulgaria and Croatia.
• 2015: Approval from the jurisdiction of Portugal.
• 2016: Approval from the jurisdictions of Lithuania, New Jersey, Romania.
• 2017: Approval from the jurisdiction of the Czech Republic.
• 2018: Approval from the jurisdictions of Jersey and PAGCOR (Philippines).
• 2019: Approval from the jurisdictions of Buenos Aires, Sweden, and Switzerland.
• 2021: Approval from the jurisdictions of Ontario and Greece.
• 2022: Approval from the jurisdictions of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Colorado.
• 2023: Approval from the jurisdiction of Virginia.
• 2024: Approval from the jurisdictions of Brazil, Arizona, Indiana, and Panama.
• 2025: Approval from the jurisdiction of West Virginia.

Crafting Industry Standards

eCogra’s first order of business wasn’t so much testing devices as it was testing services. The awarded certification from eCogra would mean that an online casino followed the best practices and was trustworthy.

Today, this is known as eCOGRA Safe and Fair Seal, which has grown much from its origins, which we’ll go through the details of later in the article. The requirements to gain the seal are called eGAP, eCOGRA’s Generally Accepted Practice. These standards have been in development for two decades, and they cover the following areas:

• Responsible gaming
• Player Information Protection
• Anti-Money Laundering
• Privacy Safeguards
• Player Fund Protection
• Game Fairness 
• Responsible advertising
• Player support

Finally Independent

Around 2011, eCogra’s CEO, Andrew Beveridge, led a buyout of the former iGaming companies. This allowed eCOGRA to take on a new direction and become a company without affiliation to casinos, software, or service providers.

The company has continued on this path, concentrating solely on online casino gaming. Compared to their competitors, they aren’t present in nearly as many jurisdictions, but they are present in all the major ones that offer online gambling.

They’ve continued to amass ISO certifications and broadened their accepted practices to cover every possible service, evaluation, and test these areas may need. eCOGRA is now one of the most trusted trademarks in this industry.

The Safe & Fair Seal

Responsible Gambling

This subject is becoming increasingly important as a growing number of jurisdictions look to tackle problem gambling. eCogra judges casino sites based on how well this information is displayed, whether it is correct, the protection measures offered, the player’s access to their data, and a variety of other factors, including the training provided to casino employees regarding the issue.

It’s a far more rigorous approach than what most jurisdictions themselves demand, showing that the Safe and Fair seal isn’t just empty talk and only for show.

Player Information Protection

This issue covers several different aspects, one of which is underage gambling. The site must disclose that underage gambling is prohibited and that measures are in place to prevent those who don’t meet the requirements from completing the registration process or even playing free games where applicable.

Another important factor is that a player’s information is not leaked. For example, multiplayer or live interactive casino games like Crazy Time can never reveal the players’ real names. And, of course, usernames on any aspect of the casino platform should never be offensive. Furthermore, when initially signing up, the registration process must only ask for basic information that can be verified quickly and easily.

Anti-Money Laundering

The real reason there are KYC processes and why you can only withdraw using methods you have used to deposit is due to anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism legislation, which is why documents and verifications are needed.

eCOGRA’s requirements are clear. They range from not accepting cash in any form to protecting all collected player data from any third party or employees who have no business accessing such data. 

Privacy Safeguards

The data online casino operators gather is sensitive and important. Online casinos that don’t fulfil the set requirements have a zero chance of securing a Safe and Fair Seal. If you are worried about your personal data, we suggest looking for an eCogra-certified casino.

Player Fund Protection

eCogra checks that the operator has the necessary funds to pay out wins and that this money is always kept separate from the casino. This ensures that if the casino has financial difficulties, it still has separate funds to pay any winnings. They also require clear documentation of any fees or costs that the player has to bear with regard to deposits and withdrawals.

Game Fairness

Far from being the most important part of testing but still fundamental, game fairness ensures that the games are true to their rules and documented statistics. For example, if a provider states an online slot has a return to player percentage of 96.10%, the testing must prove this to the exact number. This is why you’ll sometimes see casino games with a strange-looking RTP like 96.2023% because, after intensive testing, that is the precise number determined to be the RTP.

Furthermore, random number generator (RNG) testing is also part of the process. What’s important to note here is that these games must perform the same in a demo slot version as they do when playing for real money. So, any title you play here on our platform will behave in the same way as it would if you were making real bets at an online casino.

Responsible Advertising

Have you ever read a casino ad that suggests there’s easy money to be had? Or that wins are just one more spin away? Or you can affect the outcome with your skill in games where skill plays no role?

All such things are considered false advertising by eCOGRA, and any online casino or operator making such claims would not be awarded their safe & fair seal.

Player Support

Although being awarded the eCogra seal shows that the casino can be trusted in many different areas, ultimately, it’s player support that benefits from this the most. Casinos and operators must show that players can perform tasks ranging from changing their password directly on the website to having quick and fast access to responsible gambling tools if they feel their spending is getting out of hand. Additionally, to install trust in players, casinos must display licenses and game testing information and ensure that technical issues don’t affect user experience.

eCogra’s Testing and Certificates

The Safe and Fair Seal was just the starting point for eCOGRA, and since it became an entirely independent company, it has naturally started to cover more testing aspects, offering further services and certificates. These are not just customer-facing certificates awarded purely for show; they are legitimate proof in over 40 jurisdictions that online casinos fulfil the requirements laid out by the testing house.

iGaming & Data

eCogra offers testing that covers everything from the platform itself to the games that run on it. Some of these services are regulatory, whilst others are more consulting-based to ensure the user experience is the best and that trust is installed in all who visit and use the product. The most important is, of course, RNG and Return to Player percentages (RTP) testing. These certificates validate that the results in the casino games are random and fair.

Compliance

Compliance determines whether an online casino can offer its products to players. Passing the required checks to become compliant is similar to working through eCogra’s Safe & Fair Seal; however, this time, the company also ensures all regulatory compliance is completed for whichever jurisdiction the casino wants to target.

Cyber Security

Like other companies in the same field, eCogra has noticed the increasing importance of cyber security. Part of this deals with regulatory requirements, like protecting player data. The company doesn’t offer ongoing security; instead, it is more geared towards testing systems, such as penetration testing or safety of mobile apps.

Dispute Mediation

Officially called Alternative Dispute Mediation, this is a service the company offers for online casinos using either a Malta Gaming Authority or a UK Gambling Commission license. As the name suggests, this is an alternative to the casino’s internal dispute resolution processes. Naturally, a casino must be a Safe and Fair seal holder for this service to apply.

The ADM service has proven to be a popular tool for players and seemingly much more effective than the internal procedures that casinos have. This is attested by a recent study showing that two-thirds of player disputes go through eCOGRA before finishing the process with the casinos themselves. 

We’re not talking about small numbers here, either. From 2023 to 2024, the company handled over one thousand disputes for the UKGC. These issues usually take around a month to resolve, which is again faster than internal casino processes. 

Types of Mediation

eCOGRA handles three types of dispute resolution: mediation, negotiation, and arbitration. In the first, the company helps both parties communicate effectively. In the second, the company is not directly involved. Instead, the parties try to reach a solution through negotiation. 

The third is perhaps the more interesting case, as the company gets to make a resolution and have both parties follow the ruling. Issues raised concern bonuses and promotions, deposits and withdrawals, player verification, responsible gambling, account management and a host of other issues.

Their resolution service isn’t in place to favour either the player or the casino. It’s offered as being the most cost-effective, confidential and, importantly, fairest option for all involved.

What eCogra Means For Online Casinos

The situation of the company and its testing labs is quite unique. They originated as a business directly established by online casinos and software providers, only to pivot away to ensure complete independence. Nevertheless, this origin means they have significant ties to online casinos, platform providers, and regulatory bodies.

No other company can offer quite the same service. While testing and certificates are important, eCogra gives casinos a seal that is directly known to players and something punters have learned to trust. Furthermore, it doesn’t operate in the traditional brick-and-mortar casino scene, meaning the company’s full attention is on online casinos.

Besides online casinos, the company also works directly with game developers. Two notable examples are Relax Gaming and NetEnt. Their work in this area is a great help for game providers that operate across most online gambling jurisdictions.

Final Summary

If you’re looking for a guarantee of a fair place to play, the eCogra logo offers reassurance. While it’s not the final authority in these matters, and plenty of casinos opt out of the certification, it’s a service that is much needed in the iGaming industry.

However, there is still the question of unregulated markets and jurisdictions where the company doesn’t have a presence. There is some indication that they are moving in this direction and offering certifications to parties that operate with licences from lesser-known states.

Whether this is a good move remains to be seen. Likewise, mediation services have been around for quite a while but have not yet expanded beyond the Maltese and UK markets. We’d like to see some development in this area in the future.