[clevfan]

Gaming Division comes under new regulations

Thursday April 05 2007



ANTIGUA SUN
by Patricia Campbell


The Division of Gaming in the Financial Services Regulatory Commission is operating under amended regulations this week, the result of an extensive review of Antigua & Barbuda’s gaming regulations.

In February, the FSRC announced that the Directorate of Gaming would conduct the extensive overhaul of its regulations with the assistance of Mark Mendel, Antigua & Barbuda’s attorney in the World Trade Organisation gaming dispute, and other consultants.

“That went very, very well. We had a one day symposium last week. We had a very interactive and robust session but at the end of the whole day we came out with very comprehensive regulations. I think it’s balanced. It keeps in mind national best practices while at the end of the day incorporating the commercial realities of our operators,” Director of Gaming Kaye McDonald said.

McDonald said that the revised regulations were approved by Minister of Finance and the Economy Dr. Errol Cort, who signed off on them last Friday.

“Substantively, the regulations still remain but Antigua & Barbuda, being one of the pioneers within the Internet gaming environment, is always endeavouring to enforce the international best practices and best known industry standards. The process is always evolving,” she explained.

The division has indicated that the jurisdiction is focussing on tightening control of the Internet gambling industry, having committed, at the end of the International Gaming Summit held in England last October to upholding certain core principles.