eCOGRA Suspends Jackpot Factory Seals
Published: Monday, June 05, 2006 Online-Casinos.com
ECOGRA SUSPENDS JACKPOT FACTORY "PLAY IT SAFE" SEALS
Self-regulator finds SEO marketing campaign "unethical in both content
and intent"
Last week Online-Casinos.com & InfoPowa carried the shocking story of the
Jackpot Factory group's search engine optimisation (SEO) marketing disaster
under Casino Cautions, and after several days of universal public condemnation
from the playing and affiliate communities the errant online casino group was
still apologising and trying to remove the offending material from the Internet
this week.
It apparently is not as easy a task as one might expect, due to the "unorthodox
manner of its original construction and technical implementation." The online
casino group assured the public that it had taken (unspecified) action against
those responsible and it has to be said that anyone creating this sort of material
should be run out of the industry.
eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA) which regulates
Jackpot Factory and a total of 76 leading brands has clearly been involved in
redressing the issue since it was discovered by alert players last week, and judging
by a statement released this week the organisation has played a leading role in
ensuring that the material be completely expunged. It also appears that a full
enquiry has already commenced.
Here is the content of the eCOGRA statement, which is signed on behalf of the
Board of Directors by CEO Andrew Beveridge:
STATEMENT ON THE JACKPOT FACTORY INCIDENT FROM ECOGRA
Over the past several days eCOGRA’s independent directors and I have been
involved in seeking to have an unacceptable search engine optimisation marketing
campaign involving the Jackpot Factory group withdrawn.
The campaign, which disseminated offensive and even false information to vulnerable
audiences is in the opinion of the eCOGRA Compliance Committee unethical in both
content and intent.
The first priority of eCOGRA was to ensure that this material was pulled down
as soon as possible. To that end eCOGRA complied with its corporate procedures
by first verifying the allegations and then insisting that the Jackpot Factory
group management take immediate action to obliterate all traces of this material.
Despite eCOGRA strongly emphasising to the Jackpot Factory Group that the removal
of the offending material was of the highest urgency, it took longer for the Jackpot
Factory Group to remove the material than anticipated due to complications arising
from the unorthodox manner of its original construction and technical implementation.
We are informed that those responsible for conducting this campaign have been
appropriately dealt with by the Jackpot Factory group.
The eCOGRA Compliance Committee has been assured by Jackpot Factory staff that
the offending material has been removed . If any future traces surface going forward,
eCOGRA has insisted on an assurance that Jackpot Factory will immediately remove
these, too.
eCOGRA’s next requirements will involve its independent inspection regime,
which will study how this offensive material managed to pass through the vetting
and administration systems within Jackpot Factory. The objective of this will
be to ensure there can be no reoccurrence.
eCOGRA’s independent directors who form its Compliance Committee have nevertheless
decided to suspend the Play It Safe seal from All Slots casino and those other
casinos within Jackpot Factory which had links to the offensive material pending
the outcome of eCOGRA’s investigation.
The Board emphasises that it strongly condemns the nature and targeting of the
Jackpot Factory SEO campaign which is contrary to eCOGRA’s eGAP and codes
of best conduct.
eCOGRA would particularly like to thank those involved members of the player and
affiliate communities who took the time and trouble to keep me appraised of developments
as this incident unfolded. It is encouraging to see this level of interest in
eCOGRA and faith in its procedures, and the assistance provided in assessing the
extent and nature of the wrongdoing here was invaluable.
I would welcome any further information which identifies the existence of similar
content.
