( posted by fucnluc )
One of the many online gaming companies seeking shelter from a U.S. crackdown on their business thinks it may have found a novel strategy: buying its own country.
BetCRIS Sportsbook, a Costa Rica-based firm that allows customers to bet on everything from the Super Bowl to the Oscars, is mulling acquiring Sealand, a self-declared independent "principality" whose territory is a 650-square-yard wartime fort sunk in the waters of the North Sea, six miles off the coast of England.
Eric Williamson, head of international operations for BetCRIS, admits the idea "sounds crazy" but said it's a sensible response to the U.S. government's efforts to stop overseas gaming companies pitching their services to U.S. customers online.
Last September, the CEO of Bet- onSports, a publicly traded British gaming company, was arrested on his arrival in New York for allegedly flouting Louisiana's anti-online gaming laws.
Buying Sealand, Williamson says, would mean "we could write our own laws, and it would be pretty hard to extradite us."
"It's sound business strategy," agrees Michael Tew, a principal at Capital HQ, a New York consulting firm.
"Why not give it a try?"
Sealand was conceived in 1967, when a former army major, Roy Bates, seized control of the abandoned World War II anti-aircraft platform that he had been using as a base for his pirate radio station. He declared Sealand an independent "nation" with himself as prince.
Since then, even though Britain has expanded its territorial waters to include Sealand, British tolerance for eccentrics has extended to Bates' principality.
But now Prince Roy, aged 85, has retired to Spain and wants to sell Sealand, perhaps for hundreds of millions of dollars.
And while Williamson scoffs at the price, he said BetCRIS might be willing to fork over a price "in the tens of millions" for the ability to set up a Sealand HQ.
One sticking point: So far, no government or international body has offered Sealand diplomatic recognition.
Williamson admits this won't do.
"We would need to go the full route and get diplomatic recognition, so that we can be sure no outside source can intervene in our affairs."
One of the many online gaming companies seeking shelter from a U.S. crackdown on their business thinks it may have found a novel strategy: buying its own country.
BetCRIS Sportsbook, a Costa Rica-based firm that allows customers to bet on everything from the Super Bowl to the Oscars, is mulling acquiring Sealand, a self-declared independent "principality" whose territory is a 650-square-yard wartime fort sunk in the waters of the North Sea, six miles off the coast of England.
Eric Williamson, head of international operations for BetCRIS, admits the idea "sounds crazy" but said it's a sensible response to the U.S. government's efforts to stop overseas gaming companies pitching their services to U.S. customers online.
Last September, the CEO of Bet- onSports, a publicly traded British gaming company, was arrested on his arrival in New York for allegedly flouting Louisiana's anti-online gaming laws.
Buying Sealand, Williamson says, would mean "we could write our own laws, and it would be pretty hard to extradite us."
"It's sound business strategy," agrees Michael Tew, a principal at Capital HQ, a New York consulting firm.
"Why not give it a try?"
Sealand was conceived in 1967, when a former army major, Roy Bates, seized control of the abandoned World War II anti-aircraft platform that he had been using as a base for his pirate radio station. He declared Sealand an independent "nation" with himself as prince.
Since then, even though Britain has expanded its territorial waters to include Sealand, British tolerance for eccentrics has extended to Bates' principality.
But now Prince Roy, aged 85, has retired to Spain and wants to sell Sealand, perhaps for hundreds of millions of dollars.
And while Williamson scoffs at the price, he said BetCRIS might be willing to fork over a price "in the tens of millions" for the ability to set up a Sealand HQ.
One sticking point: So far, no government or international body has offered Sealand diplomatic recognition.
Williamson admits this won't do.
"We would need to go the full route and get diplomatic recognition, so that we can be sure no outside source can intervene in our affairs."
bundy said:
dude many people working in this industry has gone trough that and like wlfie once said: thats the risk we take when we agree to work in this industry, yes sure we get better wager than the average workers here in CR but, then again there is always somehitng and that something is that risk of not getting paid in case of being fired.....
I thought Golden Palace would be just the place to stick their sign on that offshore platform. Although they've been quiet since UIGEA (or I haven't been paying attention).
I know the guy who used to work for HavenCo, when they had a data center on that platform.
Trust me, no way any CRIS staff is going to work from there.
I know the guy who used to work for HavenCo, when they had a data center on that platform.
Trust me, no way any CRIS staff is going to work from there.
