Ad Ban Causes Stir

"Starting September 1, the ban on all forms of gambling advertisements will take force in the United Kingdom. Although this is part of a greater move to regulate the entire industry, at least the part of it that caters UK gamblers, the ban on advertising has come as somewhat of a surprise and has stirred quite a reaction.

Some 1,000 gambling sites are expected to be affected by the ban. These sites, the operators of which are not based in countries on the ""white list"", will not be allowed to advertise on television, radio, in print (newspapers and magazines), on taxis, buses or the tube and anywhere on the Internet. Needless to say they will be losing out on a major market, one that is not only considerable in business volume, but also one with an assured future and a clear path under new regulatory standards.

The "white list," published by the UK government, includes all jurisdictions that are acceptable in British eyes to host online gambling companies, mostly members of the European Economic Area. Casino operations based in these territories will be allowed to advertise in the UK, if they so wish. These countries need to prove to the British that they adhere to similar regulatory standards.

Moving Ahead of the Ban
The ""white list"" has kept some countries out, causing a stir in the industry. First there are the governments, such as Antigua, who have an interest in hosting such companies as bases for operations overseas, including England. Antigua is still not white listed, rather under consideration. The stakes are high and the small Caribbean island is on it best behavior, pointing out their objectives are in line with those of the UK. No words of criticism from the company, currently sitting on the fence.

While Antigua hopes to join the likes of the Isle of Man and Alderney, which have made the UK's ""white list,"" others are not so lucky. The Dutch Antilles was not included in the list. As a consequence, it is already losing business. William Hill Casino, a popular website based in the country, has decided to relocate to Gibraltar, ahead of the advertising ban. As an EEA territory, Gibraltar is expected to make it on the "white list."

As gamblers, we are most likely not going to see any changes in the operations. A spokesperson for the casino, soon based in Gibraltar, said ""The business won't be affected in any way because we have been aware of the change for some time.""

Securing Ad Deals
While some online gambling operations are to be affected, either negatively, or required to change their operations to avoid such negative impact, others see this as a business opportunity. English bookmaker Ladbrokes, for example, has announced that it will partner with The Sun and News of the World tabloids to provide sports betting and online poker services under the new rules that take effect in September.

Teaming up, inviting the publication's customers to access a suite of betting and gaming services using the same account, advertising at high profile locations, like The Sun's Page 3, are ideal spring boards to the greater English market, especially in light of the re-organizations, or mere re-locations, that other operations have to go through."