Casino Blog

Cyber World Group, owners of some of the world’s largest online casinos including Golden Palace Online Casino, have pleaded guilty to charges of illegal gambling in a landmark case which challenges the rights of the Mohawks to award gaming licenses.

CBC in Canada yesterday confirmed earlier speculation that the Quebec government has launched an attack on internet gambling activity in Kahnawake, enclave of the First Nation Mohawks. Hundreds of online casinos and poker rooms are licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC), which has so far enjoyed the right to award gaming licenses and regulate their licensees.

The Mohawks claim the Canadian Constitution, which protects traditional native rights, gives them the right to provide hosting for any online gaming company they choose to license and regulate. The KGC has already licensed almost 450 online gaming companies and is widely considered in the industry to be a fairly strict regulatory body. Tribal leaders claim that 60% of the world’s online gambling traffic runs through its servers.

The Quebec provincial government has apparently decided the gravy train is over for the First Nation Mohawks, fining Cyber World Group $2 million for having their servers based there. Cyber World has pleaded guilty, setting a worrying precedent for KGC-licensed online gaming operators. (more…)

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With the recent growth of the online gambling industry in europe, online casino operators are now under pressure to commit to the recent licensing jurisdictions as the stress on proper regulation increases following the recent presentations at EiG (European iGaming) Expo in Barcelona.

As online gamblers and operator’s battle through legal complexities in the US, competition across Europe is great as operators are paying more attention to this blossoming region. The need for acceptable standards and licensing have never been stronger, says Andrew Beveridge, CEO of eCOGRA (eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance).

The “white list” has been published in the UK and is leading the way forward, and is providing inspiration for online gambling companies to comply with the licensing jurisdictions. And as an independent online gambling regulator eCOGRA have provided a working stage for the jurisdictions.

eCOGRA has invested over $3 million to lay the groundwork for most jurisdictional requirements including the areas of game fairness, customer service, responsible gambling, management integrity, operational efficiency and accounting best practice.

“We’re aware that there are inter-nation and perhaps political difficulties in reaching a harmonized form of detailed international standards and regulations among national licensing jurisdictions,” said Beveridge at the Barcelona conference.

“But the main prize is surely a safe and fair online gambling environment for the players? That is our goal in promoting practical standards on which we can all agree and the inspection and monitoring necessary to ensure compliance.”

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“Studies don’t do much,” Frank is quoted as saying in the Journal. “What’s to study? Whether or not I should be able to make my own bet with my own money?”

Berkley and Jon Porter, both Nevada representatives, introduced the bill in June which calls for a one-year study of the Internet gambling industry by the National Academy of Sciences in order to identify the proper response of the United States to the growth of Internet gambling.

The bill has 64 cosponsors, in comparison to Frank’s bill which has garnered 38 cosponsors so far. Despite his own thoughts on a study, Frank is one of those cosponsors.

Frank’s bill seeks to overturn the Unlawful Internet Gambling and Enforcement Act that was passed into law in 2006, by enacting his bill which will legalize and create a regulation and licensing process for online gambling companies wanting to do business in the United States.

Frank’s bill would help bring the United States back in line with its World Trade Organization obligations as well. Currently the nation is in violation of them; the WTO has ruled more than once that the United States is contravening trade agreements with its ban on online gambling.

Instead of changing federal law to come into compliance, however, the United States is choosing to face the penalties for breaking the agreement and is working to alter its WTO agreements to exclude online gambling.

Those penalties may add up to big money being taken from the United States. Antigua and Barbuda, which initiated the case with the WTO, is asking for $3.4 billion in compensation for the loss of the U.S. online gambling market.

The tiny island nation was a major hub for several online gambling companies with customers in the United States. The $3.4 billion is only its first claim against the U.S. for violating trade agreements. It can also seek compensation if the U.S. changes its WTO agreements.

To get that compensation, Antigua and Barbuda has submitted for the WTO’s approval a plan to ignore U.S. copyrights, which would allow them to duplicate software, movies, music and more from U.S. companies.

Even if Antigua and Barbuda is granted the billions of dollars in compensation, Frank says in the Las Vegas Journal that it wouldn’t have a significant impact on the U.S. Internet gambling ban. (more…)

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Now that France have been ordered to modify its legislation for online gambling, over 25 million people could become available for membership of gambling websites.

The European Court of Justice has given France until October 29 to change its laws. At the moment only native providers Française des Jeux (a multi game operator) and PMU (the French tote) are permitted to advertise their services over the Internet. With an online poppulation of over 26 million (source: Comscore), France represents a considerable chunk of a potential online audience and this is a case that has been eagerly watched by industry insiders. (more…)

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Hot offer: Cyprus Gambling Company for Sale with merchant accounts: Neteller, FirePay, WalletXpress/800Pay Moneybookers
Ready to use, absolutely legal. Price $31,499.

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Another company to help you with gaming license:
eCommerce Curaçao, a partnership between E-Commerce Park, e-Management and PricewaterhouseCoopers, provides you a comprehensive set of resources for relocating, expanding or establishing your e-gaming business.

The partnership brings together the best practices of recognized industry leaders and makes them available to your business through a coordinated effort, providing a virtual one-stop-shop and quick follow through.

In short, Curaçao is an attractively regulated gaming jurisdiction, with a favorable tax regime (Economic zone), state-of-the-art technology, and is located outside the hurricane belt. This makes Curaçao the most efficient full concept for your e-gaming venture!

Favorable legal and tax facilities

* Authority to operate under a Gaming License at a competitive rate
* Part of the Dutch Kingdom, operating in a Dutch judicial environment
* E-Zone and E-Commerce legislation in place: 2% taxes on net profit
* No red tape, transparent procedures

State-of-the-art technical infrastructure

* Multiple fiber optic cables
* Ample (burstable) Bandwidth, at competitive rates
* Outsourced 24 x 7 Network Operating Center
* Sate-of-the-art Co-location Center
* Call Center facilities
* Highly qualified and flexible technical talent

Reliable financial sector

* Secure online payment solutions
* Presence of professional management companies, international banks, audit and tax firms, specialized legal and management counsels

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Jeffrey Green Russell’s Gaming and Betting Group advises clients on all aspects of UK gambling law and regulation and assists on international projects. With comprehensive knowledge and experience of the legal and commercial issues across all gambling sectors it is able to provide added value and commercial solutions for clients’ needs.

Clients range from large corporations to owner-managed businesses from all areas of the gambling industry, both terrestrial and remote, including hard and soft gaming, betting, lotteries and prize competitions. The team regularly advises casinos, bookmakers, betting exchanges and lottery, pool betting and prize competition operators, as well as gaming machine, software and other suppliers to the market. JGR has assisted numerous start-up operations in all aspects of their business needs.

At the forefront of the ongoing modernisation of the UK’s gambling laws, JGR is able to advise on the Gambling Act 2005 and on all aspects of legislative developments. Allied to a solid grasp of the technological aspects of modern gambling products and with extensive experience of advising on cutting edge industry developments, JGR is ideally placed to advise clients of the many opportunities in the UK gambling market. Working closely with colleagues from other JGR teams, including the broader company and commercial team, IP and IT, property and planning and JGR’s industry-leading liquor and entertaining licensing group, JGR offers a genuine “one stop shop” for clients in the gambling sector.

Jeffrey Green Russell can be contacted at Apollo House, 56 New Bond Street, London W1S 1RG; Tel: +44 020 7339 7000, Fax: +44 020 7339 7001

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Hi. Let’s see what we know about this company:

Harris Hagan is the first UK law firm specifically dedicated to providing legal advice in all areas of the gaming industry in the UK and overseas. With more than 30 years experience between them Julian Harris and John Hagan are two of the most respected specialist gambling law advisers in the UK and are recommended by all the leading professional guides, including the Legal 500, Legal Business: Legal Experts and Chambers and Partners Guide to the Legal Profession.

Julian and John were joined in September 2004 by Elizabeth Southorn, who has over 20 years experience, as a partner. Liz is a recognized leader in the field of liquor, entertainment, betting and gaming licensing, who previously headed City firm Richards Butler’s team in this field for 11 years. Liz has been described in Chambers Guide as “a formidable lawyer who knows the facts and delivers”.Upon her joining the partnership, Harris Hagan was described as a “combination of all the talents”. (more…)

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Founded in May 2000 the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC), an independent and non-political body whose members are internationally recognized experts in gambling regulation and licensing, has already established itself at the forefront of the regulation of e-gambling worldwide.

The single most important policy of the Commission is to provide a regulatory environment that meets the highest international standards and thereby both protects the reputation of Alderney and attracts “world-class” operations.

New legislation introduced earlier this year takes Alderneys’ regulatory lead even further with a simplified Licensing regime which allows an unlimited number of activities to be carried out under the one license reflecting the growing tendency for operators to provide multiple activities to their custome rbase. Additionally a Reduced Activity License allows for the establishment of mirrored sites within the Jurisdiction and which can be activated for any operational reason deemed necessary by the operator.

World Class Fiscal Advantages:

* Companies established for the purposes of holding an Alderney eGambling License may qualify for tax-exempt status in which case they do not pay income tax but pay a minimal non profit related fixed annual fee instead.
* Importantly, there is no VAT or other Sales tax applicable on Alderney.
* There is no tax or other duties payable on gambling operations.

These are just some of the advantages which ensure the most competitive business environment available to the worlds leading EGambling operators.

World Class Connectivity:
Since 2005 it has been possible to base servers in the neighbouring Island of Guernsey which is connected directly to the outside world through a number of high capacity and separately managed and owned networks. Capacity is effectively unlimited and provides levels of resilience and performance normally associated with services available in mainland capital cities. Amongst Alderney’s licensees are some of the largest operators in the world all of whom are comfortably accommodated with substantial room for growth. Data Centres are numerous and licensed by the AGCC and there are several new facilities in build and in planning. All of the fibre optic routes off-island are SDH (Sonnet) engineered and offer DDOS protection.

World Class Business Environment:
The combination of respected regulation a fiscal package which cannot be equalled and a technical infrastructure which other jurisdictions can only dream about creates a world class business environment for all EGambling operators. If you require security for your customers and shareholders alike with a jurisdiction which will deliver enhanced value for all then Alderney deserves a very serious look.

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