eCOGRA Reports More Accredited Sites But Less Disputes

Overview of eCOGRA's Latest Report

On August 11, 2010, eCOGRA (eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) released its latest report on remote gambling disputes. The report highlights remarkably low levels of player disputes at online gambling sites accredited with the eCOGRA Safe and Fair seal.

Accreditation and Monitoring

eCOGRA, a London-based non-profit organization in its seventh year of operation, continuously monitors and conducts annual inspections of online gambling sites bearing its seal. Accredited operators are required to cooperate with eCOGRA in resolving player disputes.

Dispute Statistics for 2010

• Total Complaints: In the first half of 2010, eCOGRA received 376 complaints.
  • Non-Accredited Operations: 33 complaints were related to sites not accredited by eCOGRA, limiting the organization's ability to mediate.
  • Invalid Complaints: 56 complaints were deemed invalid due to insufficient detail, irrelevance, abuse, or anonymity.
• Resolved Disputes: Of the 287 valid disputes (76% of the total), the Fair Gaming Advocate resolved most within 48 hours, with 47% settled in favor of the player.

Comparison with Previous Year

Tex Rees, Fair Gaming Advocate, noted that these figures are consistent with and even favorable compared to last year’s data, despite an increase of 11 accredited venues. The decrease in dispute mediation requests can be attributed to improved policies and procedures developed over time.

Main Causes of Disputes

The primary causes of disputes in the first half of 2010 were:

• Cash-in Issues: 43%
• Bonus Issues: 21%
• Locked Accounts: 21%

The proportion of cash-in complaints decreased from 51% last year.

Dispute Rate and Performance

eCOGRA handled an average of 11.03 disputes per week in the first half of 2010, equating to a dispute rate of 0.34 per Seal operation per month. This rate is slightly lower than last year’s 0.37 disputes per month.

Conclusion

Rees expressed satisfaction with the performance, stating that the low number of disputes relative to the high volume of transactions at tier-one online gambling venues reflects the effectiveness of the operators' dispute resolution processes.

For more information, visit eCOGRA.