Out of 252 disputes that have been aroused by online casino players and accepted by eCOGRA for their mediation, 137 have been resolved in favour of the players meaning a decline in a number of irrelevant or rant complaints containing insufficient information

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eCOGRA reports that "Safe and Fair" seal online casinos and poker rooms have been found guilty in 137 cases out of 252 accepted for mediation

Latest stats from Fair Gaming Advocate released

Tex Rees says that of the 290 requests for mediation received by her office, 252 were accepted, the balance being in respect of online gambling venues outside eCOGRA's sphere of influence.rn

"Of these valid disputes, the FGA office found in favour of the player in 137 cases, or 54 percent of the disputes that involved "Safe and Fair" seal casinos and poker rooms," Rees said. "That's an increase in player-decided cases of 22 percent, suggesting a better 'quality' of complaint and we certainly noticed a decline in the number of irrelevant or rant complaints that contain insufficient information to be usefully considered.

"There was a 19% increase in the disputes received in this period compared to the last four months of 2006, which we believe is the result of an increased awareness of eCOGRA and the dispute mediation service, as well as new legal challenges affecting the industry."

According to Tex Rees the main issue for the first 4 months of 2007 wasrn US payment processing delays caused by the changes to US legislation as a result of the UIGEA. "There were higher than usual levels of slow-pay complaints, with 44 percent of all valid disputes rooted in this area," she revealed. "However, from the number of disputes received in the last few weeks it appears that this situation is pretty much coming under control," she commented.

The majority of other disputes with internet casinos and poker rooms considered by eCOGRA were based on so-called "bonus abuse" issues, which tend to be time consuming to resolve. The FGA considered 78 allegations of unfair bonus abuse by online casinos and poker sites, or 31 percent of complaints accepted. "The incidence of this category of dispute has declined markedly following a professional policy note sent to all "Safe and Fair" operations by eCOGRA's independent directors in mid-April," Rees said.

The 118 eCOGRA accredited online gambling casinos and poker rooms attract an average of 0.53 dispute claims per month per site, up from 0.32 dispute claims per month per site recorded in the last four months of 2006.

Interest in eCOGRA activities had resulted in a three fold increase in traffic to the organisation's website in the past year and revealed that unique visits continued to climb. "We are particularly pleased with this, as it indicates an increased awareness of our organisation and its player protecting achievements.

"Significant effort continues to be made to provide the online gambling public with useful information about eCOGRA and the professional and responsible side of online gambling," Rees said.

About the eCOGRA Disputes Resolution Service:

eCOGRA offers a free of charge, fast and efficient disputes mediation service for online gamblers with a complaint about any "Safe and Fair" online casino or poker room where the player has been unable to achieve satisfaction at casino level. Complaints may be submitted online here.

Headed by Fair Gaming Advocate Tex Rees, the department studies the detail of each case and assesses the facts independently and without bias. Where necessary to resolve issues, the FGA has direct access to operators and their managers, who commit to high standards of professional conduct as part of their accreditation from eCOGRA and permission to display the "Safe and Fair" seal.

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