Las Vegas Sands Licensed in Alderney

A wholly owned subsidiary of Las Vegas Sands Inc. is one of the latest recipients of an online gaming license from Alderney.

VI Limited is owned by Las Vegas Sands Inc., which also owns The Venetian, a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip. On Feb. 26, VI Limited received an interactive gaming license and an electronic betting center license from the Alderney Gaming Control Commission.

The only other Strip operator to be given an Internet gambling license is MGM Mirage, which is licensed in the Isle of Man.

According the commission, GET, an Australian company, will supply online gaming software for VI Limited.

The British Channel Island also issued an interactive gaming license to CryptoLogic Alderney Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of CryptoLogic Inc. The Toronto-based online gaming software company said the license means it is already approved as a software provider for its client The Ritz Club London Online as well as any other future clients that choose to locate in Alderney.

Nancy Chan-Palmateer, spokeswoman for CryptoLogic, said the company has been working with Ritz for the last year. The Ritz Club London Online was granted an interactive gaming license from Alderney in April of 2002.

Last week Alderney also granted a certificate of prior approval to Orbis Technology Ltd., a supplier of sports betting software. The certificate of prior approval means that a software provider is allowed to supply software to an online gaming operator licensed in Alderney. To both supply the software and operate an online gaming site on behalf of an Alderney licensee, a company must hold an interactive gaming license.

Palmateer said CryptoLogic's interactive gaming license will make the company's software an attractive choice to companies that want to be regulated in Alderney.

"I think it certainly gives us a very strong advantage because we are one of the few companies that can offer a couple of jurisdictions, so it's certainly an important consideration," she said.

CryptoLogic embarked on getting licensed in Alderney last year, a process that involved background checks on the company's managers. It is already licensed in the Isle of Man.

Andre Wilsenach, CEO of the Alderney Gaming Control Commission, said Las Vegas Sands is the first American, land-based company to gain an online gambling license in Alderney.

"The nice thing about it is that it's a group which is familiar with regulation, and I think that Alderney is probably a logical choice," Wilsenach said.

Calls to Las Vegas Sands by Interactive Gaming News were not returned.