Online Casino Testing Houses
We’ve said it many times – if you want to play a fair game that gives you a good chance of winning, you should only play at reputable, fully-regulated casinos. But any operator could claim they are legal. That’s why, don’t just take their word for it. Instead, look for a licence number from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission. Moreover, they should display the seal of a casino testing agency, such as eCOGRA, on their website. That means the site and the games offered on it are monitored and tested regularly by special approved testing houses. And that means that the casino site is okay to play at.
Test Houses at Work
Let’s first see what testing houses do. They have a very important role in making sure that an operator that has already been certified as fit to offer their gambling services to UK players, which is testified by a licence granted by the UKGC, can continue to do so and is fair in their dealings with customers. They also make sure that both the RNG and the live dealer games are fair and random. Testing agencies perform a constant monitoring of casino sites, their payouts, and the games. Moreover, they regularly publish their findings in official reports that can be found at their official websites.
Testing agents go through an extensive process to verify that a casino continues to comply with the UKGC stringent rules and regulations. At the same time, regulated casinos must provide evidence that their new games and variations have been duly tested by an approved testing agency. All that is done so that the precautions against any possible fraud are taken. The UKGC, together with its approved test agencies, goes through a lot of trouble to guarantee that an operator is fair, their RNG – random, and their RTP – up-to-date. It’s all done for the peace of mind of the esteemed players.
Who Are They?
As a British player, you’re probably aware that you should only play at online casinos that hold a valid UKGC licence. Moreover, you’ve probably noticed the seals of other, independent testing organisations on legal casinos’ sites. These aren’t too many because getting the Commission’s approval is a complicated process and only the best succeed in obtaining the certificate.
Here’s an overview of the criteria candidates need to meet. First, the agency must have integrity. Second, they need to be competent in order to instil the Commission’s regulations. Third, the testing organisation must be financially independent, so it wouldn’t succumb to financial pressure and compromise its integrity. Finally, they need to hold a licence from the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) or an equivalent international body testifying their technical competence. The Commission then assesses the house based on those points and considers them for approval.
eCOGRA
eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA) is probably the most well-known test house. Founded in 2003, it introduced the first self-regulating programme into the online casino business. This internationally famous agency is based in London. It specialises in the certification of online gaming software and provides compliance services to almost 80 of the leading operators and software companies in the industry.
GLI
Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) was established in the United States in 1989. It started testing land-based casinos in the 90s. GLI Europe, their fourth international lab, was opened in 1998. Situated in the Netherlands, in 2008, it received full approval from the UKGC to test all kinds of equipment. Today, GLI has many international labs and branches and covers a wide range of testing services.
TST
Technical Systems Testing (TST) was founded in 1993 and that alone makes them one of the most experienced in their field. They have quite a few testing facilities around the world and use proprietary methods of testing compliance. In 2010, they became part of GLI but still operate under their own name. Their services encompass testing and consultation for both land-based and online casinos.
iTech Labs
iTech Labs is an iGaming testing agency, meaning they focus on online gaming systems. They are based in Australia and have been around for over a decade. When testing casino games, they focus on compliance, reporting and quality. In 2014, they received accreditation to test according to UKGC Remote Technical Standards and now perform services for some of the leaders in the industry.
Look for the Seal of an Approved Testing House
Every player has wondered about the safety of their personal and financial information at a certain point. There are even those who have given up on the idea of playing online. Alarming examples of people not being able to withdraw their winnings and others having their data shared with a third party only make things worse. However, those horror stories could never have taken place at a site that is regulated and 100% legal for Brits to play at. Any online casino that fulfils those requirements has undergone thorough initial testing in order to receive its UKGC licence. Moreover, as you can see from above, operators are constantly monitored and tested, with reports being published regularly. So, as long as your casino site has the seal of a UKGC compliance testing agency, your player interests are taken care of.