eCOGRA Trains Operators at Home

January 28, 2011 | News Category: Online Casinos

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In the past, online casino operators would have had to send their representatives to eCOGRA (eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) in order to be trained in responsible gaming. In 2010, all this changed, when eCOGRA began to train the operators' staff at their home bases, rather then require the staff to travel to eCOGRA.

In the past year, eCOGRA provided training for eight international online gambling operators, and software providers at their places of business. The eCOGRA team ran full day sessions at the eight locations, which resulted in a total of 268 employees being trained by the regulating organization.

In a typical training session, the online gaming employees would learn about social responsibility, awareness of problem gambling, how to deal with problem gamblers, correct interaction with players, and the regulations and requirements of responsible gambling.

Fair Gaming Advocate, Tex Rees, said: "We used to host the training at a single location with a small number of delegates attending from a number of different operators. The delegates were then tasked with training their staff when they returned to their companies."

Rees explained that with the new method in which eCOGRA representatives travel to the online gambling operators' sites, that more of the employees receive better training. Not only this, but it works out a cost effective method of reaching more employees at the same time, and those that are likely to be the employees who deal directly with problem gamblers, are given training directly.

Rees noted: "This also allows staff to discuss problems they have experienced in specific circumstances and receive professional feedback. The training is designed particularly for staff who interact with customers, such as call centre representatives and VIP department employees, but is also of value to staff in the marketing, retention, fraud & risk departments."

She explained that an additional benefit is that the training can be customized to the specific needs of each brand, allowing any specific issues that have occurred to be dealt with.

The Chief Executive Officer of eCOGRA, Andrew Beveridge, explained the importance of staff being trained to deal both sensitively, and also professionally with those who need assistance with regard to responsible gambling problems.

eCOGRA requires online gambling operations staff members to have the ability to deal with problem gamblers, and potential problem gamblers professionally and with sensitivity, in order to fulfill the requirements for best operational practice.

Beveridge said: "The percentage of gamblers who develop a problem may be relatively small - around 2% - but these are vulnerable members of society and they deserve appropriate and sympathetic but firm treatment by properly trained staff. These training initiatives have proved increasingly popular, and we expect to extend our coverage in this area further in the future."

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