eCOGRA appoints new independent director to its board

Online gambling player protection and standards authority eCOGRA (eCommerce and Online Gambling Regulation and Assurance) has appointed a highly experienced leisure and gaming financial executive to the board as an independent director.

Chartered Accountant Bill Henbrey recently retired from BDO Stoy Hayward in London, where he was a partner and head of the betting & gaming and leisure & hospitality units, amassing over thirty years of experience in the business assurance and financial advisory fields for a wide range of tier one clients. The portfolios for the divisions he headed included UK and international companies both private and public involved in land-based gambling and, since 2000, online operations.

Henbrey was named "Best Business Adviser to Growing Businesses" by the CBI and Real Business magazine in 2000.

He said, "I am delighted to be joining eCOGRA at the very time when online gaming standards and conduct are under immense scrutiny. This is an opportunity for me to assist the industry to raise its performance levels and ensure the highest degree of commitment to fair and responsible gaming".

"We are very fortunate to secure the experience and commitment of such an accomplished financial executive for the eCOGRA Board," said CEO Andrew Beveridge in announcing the appointment. "His expertise and impressive skills complement the high calibre regulatory and business talents of our three existing independent directors, Michael Hirst OBE, Frank Catania and Bill Galston OBE."

eCOGRA is a non-profit organisation that provides an international framework of best operational and player practice requirements enforced through inspections, reviews, and continuous monitoring by independent global audit companies. To date, over 120 leading online gambling websites comply with these requirements and have been awarded the "Play It Safe" seal.