The rise of consistent global regulation for the online casino gambling industry has taken another step forward now that the Lotteries and Gaming Authority of Malta (LGA) has come into an agreement with the highly respected eCommerce Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA). The agreement pertains directly to how the LGA will award its gaming licenses to online casino and gaming site operators in the future, ultimately giving less red tape for gaming licensees who opt to use casino software developed by eCOGRA certified sites.

The LGA will still continue to award its Malta Gaming License based on their guidelines addressing player protection and operator conduct, thus giving them the final word still on whether an online casino operator gets the green light to run gaming servers within the Maltese jurisdiction or not. However, having been approved by eCOGRA and being a receptor of their "Play it Safe" Seal, gives gaming operators a head start in the approval process.

In what began as a search by the Authority of Malta to find optimal testing protocols for regulating their increasingly large body of gaming operators, ended up at eCOGRA, who since the beginning of the online gambling industry, has served as the Web's leading voice in player advocacy and fairness. Considering that Malta already maintains over seventy online casino gaming licenses, and that there are close to eighty different gaming destinations carrying the "Play it Safe" Seal, the agreement between the two groups represents a major achievement in establishing global-wide regulation protocols for the internet betting industry.

In addition to the planned cooperation between the two groups, both the LGA and eCOGRA have their own dispute resolution officers and gaming advocates, if you will, whose purpose is to settle disputes between players and online casinos if they are to arise. Having these two departments work together is a great boost for both the player and gaming site operators, for it insures impartial mediation whose main purpose is to protect the players. The most keen gaming site operators should understand that without good regulation there will not be as many players taking part, and without the players, there will be no online gambling industry at all.

Both company's CEO's - Mario Galeo for LGA and Andrew Beveridge for eCOGRA - commented they are very excited to be teaming up together to propagate their common views and interests. Galeo referred to the agreement as an excellent means of improving the channels of communication between gaming licensors and regulation bodies, as well as the overall service that casinos offer to their players. Beveridge referred to the agreement as a great step in creating consistent guidelines insuring a safe global-wide online gambling industry. The LGA's decision to interact and collaborate with the same ends in sight, is a hopeful testament to the preservation and evolution of the increasingly regulated and mainstreamed online casino gambling industry.