In its ongoing efforts to help reduce underage and problem online gambling, the eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance body, (eCOGRA), has scheduled its second global training course in London, UK for this May. The course, expected to attract managers from some 100 Internet casino and poker rooms, will focus on effective measures for promoting responsible gambling and will be led by a team of specialists from the international Global Gambling Guidance Group (G4). The intensive, two-day course will train online casino and poker room managers how to deal with underage and problem gambling. Managers that are concerned with these issues and committed to resolving them will gain valuable assistance from the training sessions. Last year, Cape Town, South Africa hosted a similar eCOGRA training session that was also dedicated to helping online gambling managers that are responsible for recognizing and handling gambling problems. eCOGRA’s CEO, Andrew Beveridge, said that all online casinos and poker rooms displaying the “Play it Safe” seal are required to have trained staff members overseeing effective responsible gaming measures. "Because online gaming is so popular, attracting many millions of players worldwide, responsible operators know that keeping their site and their players safe is critical to their long term business goals and the overall good of the industry," said Beveridge. "We are pleased with the commitment in this area of our "Play It Safe" operators, who have now included specific responsible gaming measures, aids and advice on their sites and appointed staff to look after this critically important operational requirement." The training sessions will employ a variety of methods, including lectures, homework and practical workshop sessions, to teach attendees how to identify problem gamblers. Brief Intervention Techniques (BIT) such as role play exercises and the Balinth method will be taught as well in order to help managers learn how to intervene and prevent problematic gambling situations from arising. Those attending the training session will also be given opportunities to analyze case history material and develop front-line strategies using BIT during telephone and email consultations with players. Additionally, the training sessions will discuss, in detail, the impact that problem gambling has on the families of problem gamblers and what action managers should take at this level of problem gambling. Beveridge believes that responsible gaming practices are important to the online gambling industry from both an ethical and business perspective. "Because our software supplier members and seal casinos handle the majority of the industry's revenue and player activity, we feel it is eCOGRA's obligation to ensure that responsible gaming is a top priority," said Beveridge. "Allowing underage or problem gamblers to play is morally wrong, and could have industry wide commercial and legal consequences. Our third party audit teams pay particular attention to compliance by eCOGRA certified casinos and poker rooms and there are very few, if any online gambling venues that can match the effort and commitment our operators have invested in this area." Posted on: June 7, 2006
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