Report says online casinos in Antigua and Barbuda are regulated sufficiently
The online casino industry in Antigua and Barbuda was given a boost yesterday as officials from the British government officially recognised that online casinos based in the territories were sufficiently regulated.
The announcement from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport came this month and allows online casinos based in the country to advertise their online casino games to residents in the UK via the internet.
Ninety-six online casinos are based in Antigua and Barbuda, attracting thousands of British residents seeking online casino games.
Andrew Burnham, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said he was satisfied that online casinos in Antigua and Barbuda were sufficiently regulated. In a statement, he commented:
"[I am] content that Antigua and Barbuda has the legal authority to regulate gambling and that its current system of regulation and licensing provides a robust and adequately resourced framework."
The announcement that online casinos in Antigua and Barbuda can now be legally advertised in Britain came as welcome relief for online casinos based on the Caribbean islands. The online casino industry had been suffering a downturn as a result of legal restrictions imposed by the American government.
The restrictions by the US government in 2006 made online casino gaming illegal for American citizens and prevented many of them from playing in any online casinos for fear that they were not properly regulated. The finding of the British government - relating to the regulation of online casinos -appears to refute the assumption of the American government that online casinos are not adequately controlled.
Antiguan Minister of Finance, Dr Errol Cort expressed his gratitude to the British government when praising the ruling. He said that online casinos in his country had always followed strict guidelines and that the British government’s decision to allow online casinos to advertise in the UK was welcome news.