eCOGRA Disputes Lessen: 1

The latest numbers were released from eCOGRA, the eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance and the results are better than last year’s. This can only be good news for online casinos. The organization, eCOGRA is an independent group that protects players and the standards of internet gambling websites like an online casino or online poker room. The latest figures that were released by the organization were those that state their number of player disputed reports for the first quarter of 2009. The Fair Gaming Advocate for eGOGRA, Tex Rees, only had to investigate and or mediate a total of 145 disputes in the first part of 2009. That may sound like a lot of complaints that had to be investigated but that number is down from the first quarter of 2008 when the count was at 171 investigative reports.

That is not to say that there were not a lot of complaints that were filed against online casinos to this organization. The total amount of complaints that were filed in the first quarter of 2009 was a total of 197, but as we know just because a complaint is filed does not mean that it will lead to an investigation. Twenty five of those complaints were actually thrown out on technicalities. They were thrown out due to the fact that the complaints were made on businesses that were not accredited by eCOGRA to begin with. And if eCOGRA has no authority over the online casino then there is nowhere that they can take the complaints as they have no jurisdiction.

There were twenty seven other online casino complaints that were either non specific or abusive so they were too thrown out from further investigation. Rees released a statement on the eCOGRA website regarding the results of his investigations which 59 of 145 they ruled in favor of the player. “It is interesting to note that the incidence of locked account complaints has increased by four percent and is greater than bonus queries for the first time”, said Rees. “The indications are that this is due to a growing number of cases where linked accounts were proved (a tactic used by players trying to abuse bonus promotions) and a greater number of fraudulent accounts were discovered.”