News

Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Online operators look at Asia against all odds

After the proposed online gaming ban and the high profile arrest of the CEO of one of the world's largest online sports betting companies, the US is no longer seen as an attractive market by the many off-shore gambling operators. The toughening stance of US authorities against illegal online gaming has already lead to a sharp fall in share prices of some of the online operators, for who the US represented by far the largest market.

Strangly enough, public statements by operators as well as financial analysist suggest that online gambling companies are now looking to shift their attention to Asia. It must be known by all those that Asian countries are amongst the toughest on illegal betting, or legal betting for the matter. The jurisdictional integrity of countries seems to impress these operators little, but they may find that enforcement authorities in Asia may prove to respond quicker than in other parts of the world.