ASIAN REGULATED ONLINE GAMBLING IN SIGHT?
2 March 2007
Macau shows Its hand on remote gaming rules
The timing and location chosen by Macau regulatory
officials to announce a dynamic new remote licensing
jurisdiction this week was perfect - the high profile
Pacific I-Gaming Congress in the territory, which was
attended by everyone who is anyone in an online gambling
industry looking for new markets to replace lost U.S.
business.
The surprise announcement had delegates abuzz at the
possibility of regulation for online gambling operations
in the Asian region, centred on Macau, and the Macau
Gaming Commission made the most of the opportunity,
announcing a full set of new proposals designed to meet
online operator demands for licensing jurisdiction at
the gateway of the People’s Republic of China.
“We have everything set up, we are building the
framework and we take the view that that we should take
a bold step forward - interactive gaming is there
already,” announced Carlos Lobo, Legal Advisor to the
Macau Gaming Commission.
In terms of a 2001 law, online gambling is currently
forbidden in the former Portuguese colony other than
special exceptions for horse and dog racing bets over
the telephone and Internet, but Lobo intimated that the
Commission wants to open up the market, implying that
legislative changes are possible.
Macau's gambling laws are due for extensive review and
updating says Lobo, revealing that this exercise is due
to commence in March 2007 and will likely take six
months to complete.
On a more cautious note, however, Lobo added a caveat to
his optimistic views on remote gambling licensing,
saying: “The recommendations are our policy advice -
what the government decides is a completely different
matter.”
Jorge Oliveira, Macau’s Commissioner for Gaming outlined
the proposals for an “open legal framework” to regulate
remote gambling, but also warned that: “These are not
features that have yet been passed, but we intend to
regulate everyone, anyone who accepts bets, including
betting exchanges, will be regulated, and the regime
will be open to all.”
Oliveira said the new remote rules will place high
importance on player protection and identity
verification: “We are aware that online operators
frequently exchange customers - but we have a lot of
spotlights on us and we don’t want to place unfair
burdens on operators. At the same time though we don’t
want a situation where online licenses become a burden
on the government.”
According to Oliveira prospective Macau licensees will
have to demonstrate their suitability, technical
aptitude and financial capacity.
The likely validity of a Macau remote gaming license
will be five years, says Oliviera, predicting that,
“There will be no licenses lasting for an indefinite
period and we have no moral problems with a limited
license term because there is not a lot of investment by
the operator, at least not in the same way the
land–based industry does.”
The regulat was also not prepared tpo commit to
suggestions that a Macau license would guarantee access
to Chinese online gamblers, stressing that the Macau
Commission was not willing or able to enter into any
agreement with the Chinese government that could bring
with it "...more difficulties than benefits.”
In an apparent criticism of the UK gambling reform
process, Oliviera said that Macau did not wish to follow
a similar path to that taken by the UK Gambling
Commission, "...going to conferences for two years but
refusing to name a taxation rate, instead holding it
back like the cherry on the cake.”
He instead indicated that the tax levied would be on
gross gaming revenue and would in all liklihood be in
the 25 percent area, and would exclude all other taxes.
Macau currently has a very comfortable 200 percent
budget surplus as a result of massive tax revenues from
the land based casinos, and that figure is set to rise
to a 300 percent surplus by 2009.
Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa
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