For many years Gibraltar has had a Casino, and a number of traditional local betting shops, similar to those in the UK.
More recently, taking advantage of modern telecommunications, the UK bookmaker Victor Chandler opened a call centre on the Rock to avoid UK gaming tax. Other operators scrambled to follow resulting in the British Government having to scrap its tax.
Realising that there was a big future in Internet Gaming, a number of operators have established themselves locally. Appreciating the importance of this sector the Gibraltar Government has ensured that it is properly regulated. All gaming operations in Gibraltar require licensing under the Gaming Ordinance. Licences are also required for telephone and internet betting and are issued by the Office of the Financial and Development Secretary on behalf of the Government.
The Government is generally only licensing companies with a proven track record in gaming and a reputable standing and these licenses are very difficult to obtain.
Operators are required to obtain the following minimum information with regard to all prospective customers. The basic information on each individual shall include full name; residential address; sex and age as no customer may be registered as a player if under the age of eighteen.
The industry is growing fast In Britain alone the market is expected to exceed £10 billion in 2010. The UK is currently the third largest market for online poker, just behind the US and Japan. Gaming is one form of entertainment that is popping up with ever increasing frequency on the information superhighway.
Online gaming is a competitive business and many casinos will offer a lot to get and keep your business. Remember the operators want to stay in business because they make money. The only way for them to stay in business is to attract players so the rationale goes that the only way for them to attract players is to operate a legitimate and honest site.
People everywhere love to gamble. Every day, all over the world, millions of people from all different walks of life are hard at play, furiously counting and stacking their chips, throwing the dice, and dropping coins into slots. It's almost a universal vice whose appeal has spread like a brush fire.
In the United States alone, the past 20 years has seen an unprecedented increase in both the popularity and social acceptance of gambling as a form of entertainment. What was once considered akin to the Devil's work - completely banned in all but two states - has now exploded to include 48 states and generate revenues in excess of $60 billion a year, a staggering sum that's greater than all of the money generated from spectator sports, theme parks, cruise ships and recorded music combined.
If you are of legal gambling age and understand that you are gambling for entertainment, not for profit, then the conscious decision is yours. Gambling is not a magic way to make money and the rationale should be that players enjoy gambling as a form of entertainment. However, the Internet allows this to take place in a very safe environment - there is nobody waiting outside a shady card room to rob you of your winnings.
Traditional Betting offices
compared to Europort home
of todays hi-tech Internet
gaming companies.
