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Where Have All the Online Casinos Gone?

Is the online casino industry getting smaller, or is it just the UK’s 2005 Gambling Act? New restrictions from the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) mean that thousands of popular (and not-so-popular) online casinos will no longer be able to advertise in the UK. Basically, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport, James Purnell, has taken the Gabling Act as the perfect opportunity to impose stricter regulations on the gambling advertising industry.

The UK’s “white list” is doesn’t ban the online casinos from operating in the UK, but rather from advertising in the traditional and non-traditional mediums. All forms of advertising are banned for online casino sites operating in jurisdictions not approved for the “white list.” A few of the advertising mediums that are accessible for “white listers” include: radio, television, newspapers, magazines, taxis, and more places in the UK.

The DCMS has already made preliminary decisions concerning jurisdictions that have made the “white list.” Online casinos in those jurisdictions will maintain the right to advertise in the UK after September 1, 2007 – the day the 2005 Gambling Act comes into effect. But what about the thousands of online casino sites located in jurisdictions that recently received notice that they are not on the “white list” because of an insufficient regulatory regime.

A few of the online casinos and gambling related sites affected include; William Hill, Betfred Casino and Poker, Interpoker.com, and Littlewoodscasino.com. Beyond just those recognizable names though, over a thousand smaller online casinos are also affected by the gambling advertisement restrictions. The Netherlands Antilles was not approved for the “white list” and is home to 343 sites that can no longer advertise in the UK. Costa Rica never applied to be on the “white list,” but is home to 474 internet gambling sites. Still in limbo are 537 sites in the Antiguan jurisdiction, and the 401 in the Kahnawake Canadian jurisdiction. The verdict isn’t out yet on these sites, and the DCSM is expected to notify the two jurisdictions of their status soon.