UK Government Blackballs 1,000 I-Gaming Sites from White List

The U.K. Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said today that roughly 1,000 gambling Web sites operating out of non-white listed jurisdictions will not be allowed to advertise in the United Kingdom under the Gambling Act 2005, scheduled to be effected Sept. 1.

Currently, two--and only two--jurisdictions based outside of the European Economic Area (EEA), Alderney and the Isle of Man, have been white listed, a fact which U.K. culture minister James Purnell lauded as proof of "how tough the Gambling Act is."

"This is fantastic news and a real boon for the Isle of Man," said David Cretney, trade and industry minister for the British Crown dependency.

In a prepared statement, the DCMS noted its rejection of applications from Alexander First Nation, Netherlands Antilles and Tasmania. It did say, however, that applications from Kahnawake and Antigua are "still being considered."

After a steady flow of PR from Antigua-based Bodog regarding its high-profile European expansion, the company could, conceivably, suffer if the doors of what former CryptoLogic CEO Lewis Rose called the industry's "model citizen" close to Antigua.

Bodog's application was submitted in April and remains under review by the U.K. Gambling Commission (UKGC).

William Hill casino, Betfred casino and poker, Interpoker.com and Littlewoodscasino.com, among other sites, are, said the DCMS, based in non-white listed jurisdictions and are therefore forbidden to run adverts.

Betfred and Interpoker, both licensed in the non-white list jurisdiction of Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles, have reportedly confirmed that they are both considering compliance-focused alternatives.

eGaming Review editorializes that with several operators in non-white listed jurisdictions either making or considering moves to the EEA, the planned "crackdown" on I-gaming adverts "seems to have backfired."

The Isle of Man, for instance, confirmed with the magazine that it had received inquiries from a number of operators looking to relocate ahead of the white list announcement.

"Now [that] this issue has been resolved, we expect to see renewed interest from these companies who will hopefully progress with plans to invest here," said Isle of Man e-gaming development head Garth Kimber.

While the plan may indeed backfire if a host of operators surge toward the EEA with the aim of white listing, questions remain as to the economic impact (if any) these moves will have on the blackballed jurisdictions.

"I make no apology for banning adverts for Web sites operating from places that don't meet our strict standards," said Purnell. "Protection is my number one priority."

The ad ban applies to all forms of gambling adverts, the DCMS said, including TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, taxis, buses, the underground and certain Web sites. If operators, publishers, broadcasters and advertising companies break the rules, they could face fines or even imprisonment.

Click here to view a copy of the prepared statement issued by the DCMS.