February 21, 2009.
European Online Sportsbetting Company And Internet Bingo Sites Pass Stringent eCOGRA Testing Regime.
eCOGRA, the online gambling independent player protection and standards organisation, marked five
years of quality and safety oversight at its 126 accredited casino and poker websites this week by awarding the tough "Safe
and Fair" gambling seal to 3 new partners.
Sportsbetting operations of the Vienna-based Internet gambling giant Interwetten.com and two
bingo sites - the first sportsbook and bingo accreditations under the stringent eCOGRA testing and monitoring regime -
received the right to bear the eCOGRA "Safe and Fair" seal.
The bingo sites are All Bingo Club which is a member of the highly successful Jackpot Factory
online gambling group, and Platinum Play Bingo which is a subsidiary of the long
established Fortune Lounge group.
Interwetten is one of the best known of the top European sportsbetting, casino and poker Internet gambling sites and is a member
of both the European Gaming and Betting Association and the European Sports Security Association.
Founded in 1990 as provider of sport betting via telephone, the company today has 110 employees and reached a betting turnover
of EUR 320 million in 2008. The internationally active company currently has more than 900,000 registered customers in 200
countries. In 2008, bets were placed on more than 90,000 different sports events in more than 70 countries. Altogether, 11
million sports bets were placed in the previous year.
Accepting the eCOGRA seal, the CEO of Interwetten, Thomas Daubek said: "Interwetten's management and staff has every reason
to be proud of this achievement, which has involved a detailed and comprehensive examination of every aspect of our operational,
software and responsible gambling systems by independent eCOGRA professional audit teams.
"The high level of player safety and service which has been recognised in the past will now be maintained under the continuous
monitoring to which we have agreed as part of this important and hard won accreditation."
David Brickman, spokesman and vice president of Player Affairs at the Jackpot Factory group said his company was pleased to
have achieved one of the first eCOGRA bingo accreditations for its All Bingo Club website.
"Our casino and poker operations have all qualified for the practical and valuable 'Safe and Fair' seal accreditation over the
years, and it's good to know that our bingo operations also measure up to these high operational standards," he said.
A spokesman for the Fortune Lounge group commented that casino and poker room operations in the group were celebrating 5
years of Safe and Fair accreditation this week, and the addition of the Platinum Play Bingo seal to the Fortune Lounge list
of achievements was added cause for pride.
"This is a tough test, but it brings with it real advantages in operational efficiencies and improved business," he said.
eCOGRA CEO Andrew Beveridge congratulated the successful website owners on achieving accreditation, and urged Safe and Fair
operators to maintain the highest standards, with player protection, business efficiency and responsible gambling always
front-of-mind.
"eCOGRA can look back on the last five years with some satisfaction,” he said. “It has seen our standards, inspection and
monitoring systems and professional staff expand to embrace all the main Internet gambling platforms, from mobile, live
dealer and bingo through sports to casino and poker," he said.
"Along the way, our Fair Gaming Advocate has successfully mediated thousands of player issues, although these represent a
miniscule percentage of the substantial volumes of business our accredited sites handle every day.
“There are now 126 accredited sites under the eCOGRA Safe and Fair umbrella, belonging to the most successful and well-established
gambling companies on the Internet," he continued.
"Going forward we intend to remain at the leading edge of online gambling standards and player protection in a dynamic and
challenging high tech industry, constantly ensuring that our standards and systems are current with technology and best
business practice."
About eCOGRA
eCOGRA is a non-profit London-based organisation that sets
online gambling standards and provides an international framework
for best operational and player protection practice requirements, with particular emphasis on fair and responsible gambling.
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 fair and continuously monitored to consistently high standards.
Accreditation remains open to all software companies and their operators.
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