ANTIGUA CONFIDENT IT CAN MAKE THE UK ADVERTISING WHITE LIST

17 August 2007

Caribbean licensing jurisdiction says it its requirements are parallel to those of the Gambling Commission

With online gambling companies and licensing jurisdictions still mulling their next moves in the wake of the UK government's decision to restrict gambling advertising to operations with credible licenses (see previous InfoPowa reports) officials of the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda have told local newspapers that they were confident of making the "white list".

Earlier in the week when the UK's Department of Culture, Media and Services released their list of acceptable licensing jurisdictions, it indicated that the suitability of Antigua and Kahnawake in Canada was still under consideration.

Only two jurisdictions have been initially recommended for approval namely the jurisdiction of Alderney and the Isle of Man. Applications from Antigua and Barbuda and Kahnawake are still receiving consideration, whilst applications from Alexander (Canadian Reservation), Tasmania (Australia) and Netherlands Antilles have been rejected by the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, James Purnell.

Gibraltar and Malta are approved under the umbrella of being in the European Economic Area.

The Antiguan Minister of Finance and the Economy, Dr Errol Cort told Caribbean News that he remains confident that Antigua and Barbuda's application for a UK "Whitelisting" will receive approval in due course, given that the jurisdiction's regulatory and licencing objectives are parallel to the United Kingdom's intended remote gaming regulatory regime. Both promote the prevention of underage gaming, protection of the vulnerable, fairness in all games and the combating of illicit activities and financial crimes, he said.

Director of Gaming in Antigua, Kaye McDonald underscored the Minister of Finance's comments with respect to the jurisdiction's regulatory and licencing framework and believes that the application process provides an opportunity for governments and regulators to work collectively to continuously improve the regulatory environment associated with remote gaming.

Cort emphasised that the UK's "whitelisting" is an on-going process and stated that Antigua looks forward to working with the United Kingdom on the jurisdiction's application and with other proactive governments across the globe to further develop international standards.

Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa