eCOGRA Approved by Spanish Gambling Authority

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Good news is coming from the the independent player protection and standards body eCOGRA at a brisk pace. Following its recent accreditation as a full testing agency by the Italian regulator AAMS, eCOGRA has announced on October 31 that it has achieved similar status with the new Spanish gambling regulator. eCOGRA has been approved to test and certify both online gaming software and information systems security for the Spanish market.

The Director General of Gambling Regulation in Spain recently emphasised the importance of comprehensive and professional testing as a prerequisite for a stage one Spanish licence. He said that the applicants will be required to undergo an assessment process for both games and platform by a testing agency recognised by the Spanish authorities. On succeeding in this assessment the applicant will be issued a provisional license and will be given four months in which to prepare for a final and comprehensive inspection of operational systems, games and hosting facilities. Only when the applicant passes the final examination would a full licence be issued. There is expected to be a spate of applications for licenses for the Spanish online gambling market and therefore the demand for testing and advisory services is expected to be considerable. eCOGRA has been appointed as one of the agencies that would conduct these assessments.

While announcing this appointment, eCOGRA chief executive officer, Andrew Beveridge, first applauded the Spanish regulator for the newly liberalised online gambling market in Spain. But he also pointed out that fractured structure of the European Union (EU) regulatory environment that is likely to persist in the near future has created a problem. Operators, software suppliers and testing agencies like eCOGRA are facing a formidable challenge in meeting the different regulatory requirements of different national jurisdictions.

Beveridge stated that in this environment eCOGRA was very conscious of the need to fulfil their clients' expectations. eCOGRA is continually developing its auditing approach to ensure that operator and software supplier clients are put to minimum inconvenience. eCOGRA offers its clients a streamlined and efficient audit process ensuring the quickest possible licensing times in new jurisdictions and minimal disruptions to the rollout of new products and system changes. eCOGRA also offers reduced testing through a single audit of common regulations across multiple jurisdictions. Online casinos operating in many jurisdictions can reduce their annual inspection costs through this approach. Other benefits offered by eCOGRA include professional and industry experienced auditors with a thorough understanding of the operational and regulatory environments, a familiar testing agency with a proven reputation for integrity and competence and competitive testing agency fees. Apart from the Italian and Spanish online gaming markets, eCOGRA is also approved by the United Kingdom.

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