Casino Watchdogs - A Brief Introduction

Online casino watchdogs are organizations or in some cases individuals who offer independent scrutiny of an online casino and its operation.

So should you trust what they have to say or indeed the scrutiny that they offer. Is it safe to play at a casino which is a member of the watchdog's body? If the casino is not a member, does that mean they are not a good casino to play at?

These are very relevant questions and are more especially so if you're completely new to the world of online gambling. In this section we will briefly explain who the main watchdogs are, what they do and how you recognize them. We'll also talk about the individual's sites that operate as watchdogs.

The Main Players

eCOGRA
Is a relatively new online casino watchdog and formed in 2003. Their mission statement is as follows

'The objective of eCOGRA is to be an independent entity that provides important player protections to consumers, including that operators are honest, games are fair, monetary deposits are safe and winning bets are paid in a timely manner. '

The Interactive Gaming Council
Was formed in 1996. Their mission statement is as follows...

The Interactive Gaming Council (IGC) is a non-profit trade association that serves as a collective voice for the interactive gaming industry. The IGC builds credibility in the industry and creates member benefits by aggressively addressing legislative and regulatory challenges and opportunities.'

Both these organizations are well know throughout the industry and are recognized as being the authoritative voices as far as casino watchdogs go.

You can read more about each of them by visiting our Online Casino Watchdog Reviews section. Choosing to play at a member casino of either of them is a good and wise choice for players new to online gambling.

Independent Watchdogs

As you surf the world of online gambling you will come across a number of web sites the owner(s) of which publish themselves as being online casino watchdogs. Whilst there are a small number of genuine bona fide individuals who have both the player and the honesty of online gambling at heart, be warned.

There are a number of sites which advertise themselves as standing for such, but which in truth do little or nothing to protect you. In fact some are just fronts for casinos or some other scam.

If you are new to the world of online gambling and you are unsure which casino to play at first, then our recommendation is that you play at a casino which is a member of either eCOGRA or the IGC as listed above.

None Members

Whilst we mainly feature casinos which are members of those organizations, there are good casinos available which are not. We ourselves feature one or two, but they are casinos we know are definitely safe to play at.

Some casinos choose not to apply for membership of these organizations for reasons best known to themselves and not being a member doesn't automatically make them a bad casino.

But for players just venturing into the world of online casino gambling, the safeguards of playing at a casino which is a member of either far out way the risk factors of choosing your first casino from one that is not.

As you gain in experience and glean more information by visiting gambling forums, message boards and the like, then the more you will be able to discern the good from the bad from the downright rogues. Until then and if it's your first time, as the saying goes...it's better to be safe than sorry.

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