<TABLE class=contentpaneopen cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=contentheading width="100%">Jurisdictions </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=contentpaneopen cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left width="70%"></TD><TD vAlign=top align=right></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2>This section is not about debating legality or uncertainty in questions of jurisdictions related to online gambling. As a matter of fact, the online betting industry is developing at unlike paces in different nations, with governments' approaches varying significantly from country to country. In this competitive and rapidly changing climate a common framework or uniform regulation in international laws does not seem like a realistic prospect at present time. We advise punters interested in betting online to verify their local and national government laws before placing bets over the internet.
This section is about reviewing countries that offer some type of betting license or permit to operate as an internet bookmaker. Over 90 sovereign nations worldwide host, or have hosted in the recent past, online betting operations. However, only few of them provide a fully regulated environment, with effective legislation that protects players' interests.
First class jurisdictions
The jurisdictions in this list offer an overall balance of the following characteristics: economic and political stability, strong gaming authorities and commissions, proper governments’ controls, stringent licensing procedures and requirements, availability of modern infrastructures and state of the art technical and communication facilities, ease of information, excellent reputation and international respect. Regulatory frameworks in these countries set out strict provisions and standards to guarantee operators and players the highest levels of integrity and suitability.
We invite bettors to join bookmakers located in the jurisdictions listed below:
Alderney (British Channel Islands) has managed to position itself as leader in the regulation of internet betting, with well-defined technical and operational requirements, comprehensive and rigorous investigations on applicants and continual monitoring of licensees.
Antigua & Barbuda, differently from other Caribbean jurisdictions, have succeeded in undertaking regulatory initiatives to weed out bad operators and tighten regulations. They have created a well-developed licensing structure with effective regulations, appropriate levels of transaction reports and a close oversight on players' complaints. Licensed bookmakers are required to sustain anti-money laundering controls, monthly reviews and random checks. Constantly targeted and attached by US officials, in 2003 the Government of Antigua & Barbuda took the US Government in front of the Grievance Committee of the World Trade Organization for interfering and restraining with their online gambling industry. On November 10, 2004, the WTO panel confirmed the preliminary ruling it issued in March: the ban which prohibits Americans to bet online is an unfair trade barrier. On April 7, 2005, the WTO Appellate Body dismissed the US' appeal and upheld the earlier decision in favour of Antigua.
Australia was pioneer on establishing a well-regulated internet betting environment. Today it is a highly prominent jurisdiction and its regulatory model is taken as example for many of those jurisdictions willing to establish a new and efficient legislative framework. Australian bookmakers are requested to operate with mandatory ringfenced accounts for customers' funds.
Gibraltar is home for some reputable bookmakers who left UK in the mid and late nineties, before UK's Government decision to abolish betting tax. Today it offers no-resident companies a tax-free healthy business environment where the absence of a specific regulation for internet bookmakers is taken into account with caution and selectivity in the issuing of new licenses.
Ireland, like many others European countries, does not have a specific regulatory framework for internet bookmakers, but following their long tradition, licensed high street betting companies have developed online presences to attract foreign punters. Decisive at this regard was the Irish Government open approach to the betting industry. Understanding they could not enforce the prohibition for Irish people to bet abroad, they revoked it and rather took measures to ensure international competitiveness of Irish betting operations.
Isle of Man has a new well-planned approach to the online gambling industry. It addresses known risks with personal and financial background checks of license applicants, insurance coverage for all players’ bets and ongoing monitoring of license holders. A restricted betting office license and a bookmaker permit are requested to operate as online bookmakers.
Malta, with its recent legislative reforms and newly created Remote Gaming Regulations, is the first EU member country that fully licenses and regulates online gambling operators that cater to the remote market.
United Kingdom has a rich gambling history and tradition, with in-built factors of respect and safety. It simply host the best bookmakers worldwide, currently allowing the use of internet websites as mediums to facilitate wagering. The British Government is working on introducing a new regulatory framework to incorporate existent betting operations with a future internet gambling industry. A new Gambling Commission will take over the role of the Gaming Board with greater responsibilities and powers.
Developing jurisdictions
The jurisdictions listed in here are either creating new regulatory frameworks or undergoing important developments and updates in their legislations. Some have good regulations, but they are still commercially underdeveloped.
Aland Islands (Finland), Belgium, Cyprus, Jersey (British Channel Islands), Norfolk Island, Sark (British Channel Islands), Seychelles, Vanuatu.
We address particular considerations to the jurisdictions of Austria, Curacao and Kanhawake, which we believe at present time they transfer too many risks to bettors.
Austria has an excellent international reputation for honesty and integrity. Most internet bookmakers operate as online divisions of high street betting shop companies. However, there are no authorities such as a gaming board to investigate license applicants and address players complaints when local bookmakers refuse to collaborate.
Curacao (Netherlands Antilles) is one of the oldest domiciles for internet betting operators. It has had a few bad experiences in the past and actually host some very respected operations, whereas before giving it a place in our preferred list, we wish to wait for a more effective legislation from its Government Gaming Commission, as the good willing of its gaming operators association (CIGA) is not enough. It should be able to gain respectability applying more strict procedures to the sub-license of an existing licensee, that should not be a simply formality. The Commission's aim should be to regulate rather than license operators.
Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake (Canada), presented as one of the best regulations in the world, it is not effective in protecting players. It should employ more through auditing and monitoring criteria to its licensed operations and be willing to act against those operators which receive too many players’ complaints.
Jurisdictions to avoid
The jurisdictions in this list have a deserved negative image for the following reasons: political instability, spotty or non-existent gaming commissions, lax government oversight or otherwise inferior government controls, poor licensing standards or unclear terms regulating the online betting industry, listed between the uncooperative tax heavens. Most of these countries manage their lightly regulated frameworks with too ease and flexible approaches, clearly showing that their only interest is to raise revenues in form of taxes and licenses' fees. High rates of corruption, incompetence and unwillingness of their authorities to correct actions are others bad signs of the jurisdictions listed in here.
We suggest players to avoid operations based in the following countries:
Anjouan (Comoros), Aruba, Bahamas, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cagayan (Philippines), Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Honduras, Indonesia, Jamaica, Liberia, Mauritius, Mexico, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Panama, Solomon Islands, St Kitts & Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos, Venezuela.
A particular note goes to Caribbean jurisdictions, while few good bookmaking operations reside in these countries, their reputations have been tarnished by early days' fly-by-night scams, poor regulations and suspicions of being used for money laundering activities. To legitimate their aspirations and become premier homes for internet betting operators, they have to move toward to more formal approaches to their licensing legislations and prevent undesiderables from entering the industry.
Jurisdictions without international interest
While few countries have already start embracing the opportunities offered by an online betting industry, many are still dominated by state-run monopolies or are locally oriented to residents, with consequently limited international interest:
Albania, Argentina, Bosnia Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Hong Kong (China), Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau (China), Macedonia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia & Montenegro, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Turkey, Ukraine, Vietnam.
The USA are not present on any of our lists because is illegal to solicit bettors from the United States under the federal Wire Wager Act. Furthermore, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act prohibits people from conducting an internet gambling business. The state of Nevada permits websites to operate on the condition that they only accept bets from individuals within state borders. U.S. Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission has approved the set up of a hosting facility for internet gambling, providing services to third parties that operate online casinos.
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This section is about reviewing countries that offer some type of betting license or permit to operate as an internet bookmaker. Over 90 sovereign nations worldwide host, or have hosted in the recent past, online betting operations. However, only few of them provide a fully regulated environment, with effective legislation that protects players' interests.
First class jurisdictions
The jurisdictions in this list offer an overall balance of the following characteristics: economic and political stability, strong gaming authorities and commissions, proper governments’ controls, stringent licensing procedures and requirements, availability of modern infrastructures and state of the art technical and communication facilities, ease of information, excellent reputation and international respect. Regulatory frameworks in these countries set out strict provisions and standards to guarantee operators and players the highest levels of integrity and suitability.
We invite bettors to join bookmakers located in the jurisdictions listed below:
Alderney (British Channel Islands) has managed to position itself as leader in the regulation of internet betting, with well-defined technical and operational requirements, comprehensive and rigorous investigations on applicants and continual monitoring of licensees.
Antigua & Barbuda, differently from other Caribbean jurisdictions, have succeeded in undertaking regulatory initiatives to weed out bad operators and tighten regulations. They have created a well-developed licensing structure with effective regulations, appropriate levels of transaction reports and a close oversight on players' complaints. Licensed bookmakers are required to sustain anti-money laundering controls, monthly reviews and random checks. Constantly targeted and attached by US officials, in 2003 the Government of Antigua & Barbuda took the US Government in front of the Grievance Committee of the World Trade Organization for interfering and restraining with their online gambling industry. On November 10, 2004, the WTO panel confirmed the preliminary ruling it issued in March: the ban which prohibits Americans to bet online is an unfair trade barrier. On April 7, 2005, the WTO Appellate Body dismissed the US' appeal and upheld the earlier decision in favour of Antigua.
Australia was pioneer on establishing a well-regulated internet betting environment. Today it is a highly prominent jurisdiction and its regulatory model is taken as example for many of those jurisdictions willing to establish a new and efficient legislative framework. Australian bookmakers are requested to operate with mandatory ringfenced accounts for customers' funds.
Gibraltar is home for some reputable bookmakers who left UK in the mid and late nineties, before UK's Government decision to abolish betting tax. Today it offers no-resident companies a tax-free healthy business environment where the absence of a specific regulation for internet bookmakers is taken into account with caution and selectivity in the issuing of new licenses.
Ireland, like many others European countries, does not have a specific regulatory framework for internet bookmakers, but following their long tradition, licensed high street betting companies have developed online presences to attract foreign punters. Decisive at this regard was the Irish Government open approach to the betting industry. Understanding they could not enforce the prohibition for Irish people to bet abroad, they revoked it and rather took measures to ensure international competitiveness of Irish betting operations.
Isle of Man has a new well-planned approach to the online gambling industry. It addresses known risks with personal and financial background checks of license applicants, insurance coverage for all players’ bets and ongoing monitoring of license holders. A restricted betting office license and a bookmaker permit are requested to operate as online bookmakers.
Malta, with its recent legislative reforms and newly created Remote Gaming Regulations, is the first EU member country that fully licenses and regulates online gambling operators that cater to the remote market.
United Kingdom has a rich gambling history and tradition, with in-built factors of respect and safety. It simply host the best bookmakers worldwide, currently allowing the use of internet websites as mediums to facilitate wagering. The British Government is working on introducing a new regulatory framework to incorporate existent betting operations with a future internet gambling industry. A new Gambling Commission will take over the role of the Gaming Board with greater responsibilities and powers.
Developing jurisdictions
The jurisdictions listed in here are either creating new regulatory frameworks or undergoing important developments and updates in their legislations. Some have good regulations, but they are still commercially underdeveloped.
Aland Islands (Finland), Belgium, Cyprus, Jersey (British Channel Islands), Norfolk Island, Sark (British Channel Islands), Seychelles, Vanuatu.
We address particular considerations to the jurisdictions of Austria, Curacao and Kanhawake, which we believe at present time they transfer too many risks to bettors.
Austria has an excellent international reputation for honesty and integrity. Most internet bookmakers operate as online divisions of high street betting shop companies. However, there are no authorities such as a gaming board to investigate license applicants and address players complaints when local bookmakers refuse to collaborate.
Curacao (Netherlands Antilles) is one of the oldest domiciles for internet betting operators. It has had a few bad experiences in the past and actually host some very respected operations, whereas before giving it a place in our preferred list, we wish to wait for a more effective legislation from its Government Gaming Commission, as the good willing of its gaming operators association (CIGA) is not enough. It should be able to gain respectability applying more strict procedures to the sub-license of an existing licensee, that should not be a simply formality. The Commission's aim should be to regulate rather than license operators.
Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake (Canada), presented as one of the best regulations in the world, it is not effective in protecting players. It should employ more through auditing and monitoring criteria to its licensed operations and be willing to act against those operators which receive too many players’ complaints.
Jurisdictions to avoid
The jurisdictions in this list have a deserved negative image for the following reasons: political instability, spotty or non-existent gaming commissions, lax government oversight or otherwise inferior government controls, poor licensing standards or unclear terms regulating the online betting industry, listed between the uncooperative tax heavens. Most of these countries manage their lightly regulated frameworks with too ease and flexible approaches, clearly showing that their only interest is to raise revenues in form of taxes and licenses' fees. High rates of corruption, incompetence and unwillingness of their authorities to correct actions are others bad signs of the jurisdictions listed in here.
We suggest players to avoid operations based in the following countries:
Anjouan (Comoros), Aruba, Bahamas, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cagayan (Philippines), Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Honduras, Indonesia, Jamaica, Liberia, Mauritius, Mexico, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Panama, Solomon Islands, St Kitts & Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos, Venezuela.
A particular note goes to Caribbean jurisdictions, while few good bookmaking operations reside in these countries, their reputations have been tarnished by early days' fly-by-night scams, poor regulations and suspicions of being used for money laundering activities. To legitimate their aspirations and become premier homes for internet betting operators, they have to move toward to more formal approaches to their licensing legislations and prevent undesiderables from entering the industry.
Jurisdictions without international interest
While few countries have already start embracing the opportunities offered by an online betting industry, many are still dominated by state-run monopolies or are locally oriented to residents, with consequently limited international interest:
Albania, Argentina, Bosnia Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Hong Kong (China), Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau (China), Macedonia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia & Montenegro, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Turkey, Ukraine, Vietnam.
The USA are not present on any of our lists because is illegal to solicit bettors from the United States under the federal Wire Wager Act. Furthermore, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act prohibits people from conducting an internet gambling business. The state of Nevada permits websites to operate on the condition that they only accept bets from individuals within state borders. U.S. Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission has approved the set up of a hosting facility for internet gambling, providing services to third parties that operate online casinos.
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