Gamblers Join Mile High Club

Are you ready for Take Off? Online gambling is.

Starting early next year, passengers on one of the following airlines - British Airways, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airlines - will be able to pass the time while gambling online. Should we call it gambling in air instead?

An agreement between gambling company 888 and the airlines will offer casino games operated on the company's sites to the passengers on these airlines. With personal screens and use of a credit card, playing online will make flying more entertaining for many.

How many is exactly the question. The service will open up the ability for many online gamblers to do what they would otherwise be doing if they were home by their computers. It will also reach out to many who were not aware or were never exposed to gambling sites. This is both the criticism of the new venture and the defined business goals of 888.

With advanced technologies that provide fast Internet connections to passengers on planes and the customer service level that 888 is known for, this might turn out to be a wise move for the company, now pretty much recovered from the American ban on online gaming and seeking new frontiers.

The positive side that both online gamblers and opponents of gambling can agree on is that at least the lines to the toilets will now be considerably shorter...