Gilbraltar is looking to “snap up a giant slice” of the US online gaming market, according to a report by Agence France-Presse earlier this month.
“We believe that Gibraltar’s in pole position to demonstrate to each of the states of the United States that we have been respectful of its laws and that this demonstrates how regulated the industry is in Gibraltar,” Fabian Picardo, Gibraltar’s Chief Minister, is quoted as saying on a recent trip to Washington.
It was not specified exactly how Gibraltar itself will benefit from state-based US online gaming, although many of its licensees, including 888 Holdings and bwin.party, are positioning themselves to take advantage of the fledgling market.
Gibraltar is seeking to play its post-UIGEA trick card; all its major licensees withdrew from the US market following the passage of UIGEA, unlike its competitors. The IOM continued to license PokerStars, Alderney did Full Tilt Poker, and Malta continued to license operators in the US even post-Black Friday.
Whether this will curry favor for its licensees facing tough suitability tests remains to be seen.
