GamCare, eCOGRA preach responsible gambling

Two giants in the online gambling world came together to help educate casino managers on the principles of responsible gambling and how to identify and handle problem gamblers.

Both the U.K. problem gambling charity GamCare and eCommerce and Online Gambling Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA) met in London last week with 40 online casino managers.

Delegates from around the world came to attend the two-day intensive training course, which featured lectures, case history studies and interactive training exercises supervised by expert GamCare officials Andrew Poole and Amy Webster.

Former U.K. Gaming Board Chief Inspector, GamCare Trustee and eCOGRA Independent Director Bill Calston said it was an important step for the industry.

"For both humanitarian and ethical reasons - and to correct adverse misperceptions by some - a comprehensive responsible gambling policy is a critical investment for any online gambling operation," he said. "eCOGRA has made huge strides in this area in developing a set of best practice requirements for online gambling operations and this third course on the subject will coach managers in how to apply these tools."

Poole, who is the managing director of GamCare's Trade Services Limited company, was responsible for conducting a review and explanation of the eCOGRA's procedure.

"This course will give you sufficient information and insight to set up a solid responsible gambling program at your companies if you have not already done so," he said, stressing the need for training and for making responsible gambling a part of corporate culture.