Harrah’s Entertainment is an online gaming company based in business partner Gibraltar that provides software for casino operators to manage three internet gambling sites in the UK. The application was filed by Harra last week on behalf of Dragonfish, a division of 888 Holdings under state foreign gaming laws.
This is the first time Nevada gaming regulators have been asked by U.S. gamblers to investigate the suitability of online gaming companies that gambled before the 2006 law was enacted. The bill, signed by President George W. Bush, made it a crime for banks and other financial institutions to process transactions used in online games.
Prior to 2006, it was technically illegal for an integrated and located outside the U.S. border to accept bets from Americans. However, many people made bets because the law was rarely enforced.
Gaming Control Board President Dennis Neilander said a company that had previously taken online bets from Americans had never asked for a license or conformity approval from the state.
“It’s an issue that the board and (Nevada Gaming) committee have never formally ruled on,” Nealander said, “and it’s an issue that needs to be addressed because we’re likely to see more of this type of relationship going forward.” 스포츠토토
Companies like 888 Holdings have offered legal advice in support of accepting bets from U.S. citizens until a law is enacted. Some online gambling sites, such as PokerStars and Pultildt, continue to accept bets from U.S. citizens who have found a way to do business with U.S.-based financial institutions. Nealander said it was not clear how long it would take Nevada to investigate 888 Holdings.
Harrah’s application to the state government is based on a law that deals with a Nevada gaming company’s transactions with foreign businesses. The law was used in 2007 when gaming regulators determined Hong Kong female businessman Panzy Ho to be a suitable business partner for MGM Mirage in the shared ownership of MGM Grand Macao.
A spokesperson for Dragonfish declined comment on regulatory filings. Dragonfish offers Harra the technology to manage and operate online game sites under the U.K.’s World Series of Poker and Caesars brand. American gamblers do not have access to the website. The software package includes poker and casino management tools, electronic payment processes, customer support, and other services.
The partnership is with World Series of Poker and Montreal-based Harrah’s Interactive, which oversees internet gaming sites. In September, when the agreement was announced, Harrah’s Interactive CEO Mitch Garber said, “As we develop and launch our interactive strategy, we’ve decided to work with 888 primarily for world-class technology, scalability, compliance, and a strong commitment to responsible gaming.”
Garber, who joined Hara in May, is a former CEO of Party Gaming, which is based in Gibraltar and is also listed on the London Stock Exchange. He helped the party gaming site rebuild after it lost customers in the United States after an illegal internet gambling law became law.