Online Casinos Directory

If you have heard of the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao most likely it was in reference to oneof two things: its overwhelming beauty as a Caribbean get a way, or as a gambling center for gaming companies. Those two don’t necessarily go hand in hand, but Curacao is making it work. The small island is one of the most beautiful locations to visit. Their tourism market is on a high because of the beauty and natural appeal it has. Much of the market is built on tourism, so resorts and hotels put millions of dollars into building up their businesses for tourist attractions. The other part of their market though is their online casino operator appeal. Curacao is one of the first jurisdictions to regulate online gaming for real money. It all began back in 1993 when the island officials decided to take a chance at regulated gambling. It was a huge task and many thought the small island had no business delving into the gambling business, thinking it was more of a “big country” pursuit. In the years since, Curacao has proven all naysayers wrong.

When gambling companies are looking to set up shop, one of the first places they consider is Curacao. The island offers some of the most reasoanble fees in the world. No longer do gaming companies have to submit to enourmouse taxation or licensing committments that larger countries insist on. With islands like Curacau around, they can bypass the huge-pay countries and settle quite nicely into small ones. The best thing about setting up shop in Curacau is that the country has been at it for years now and worked out all the pre-start up bugs, so to speak. It knows what the laws should be, knows how to enforce them and has a highly affordable setup structure to top it all off. No one can beat small countries when it comes to reasonably priced regulation. Curacau is a leader when it comes to the art of licensing gambling casinos and is showing no signs of slowing down. Many gambling companies are looking to start up on the small island or to transfer their busineses to it. As large countries elevate their fees, Curacau continues to squash all the competition.

The powers of various countries around the globe are changing. There was a time when small countries had no significant say in the markets surrounding them. Instead it was the big players that were deemed the most influential and people looked to them for trends and leadership in business. Things are changing now and smaller countries are gaining a foothold of respect in the nations. Consider the small islands of St. Maarten and Curacao. Both are tiny and in terms of business prowess are considered low on the totem pole of power. They have been altering that vision though as of late. Both islands have been issuing licensing to online gambling companies for the past few years. And the numbers of licenses they are handing out are getting more numerous. This change is pushing the small areas to economic prominence in the market of gambling. It is a sign of how important gambling is becoming to the world and how it is changing the face of the business world altogether.

As time moves on, the market is going to see further changes with small countries. Though some are significantly smaller than others and have no viable assets, gambling is giving them a new power. Countries like Curacao and St. Maarten, along with Gibraltar and Macau are no longer small players in the economic market, though they still lack in mileage. The countries are bringing in huge dollars thanks to their taxation rules and making a splash in the market that no one thought they would ever be able to make. It is a sign of how not only lucrative gambling can be, but how it can alter the power dynamic of an entire country. Larger countries have tried to open the doors for online companies to find licensing, but overall their taxation rules and fee schedules are too hefty. They can’t compete with the laws of Gibraltar, St. Maarten or Curacao. All three are holding their own effectively by offering services to online companies that are both effective and cost efficient. And in today’s world market, cost efficient is all a gambling company– or any company for that matter– can hope for.

No one would have ever guessed that Gibraltar would become a gambling companies dream. The country covers just over 2.5 square miles of space. It has two costs, one facing the Sandy Bay and the other facing the Catalan Bay. There are no real natural resources to speak of, and just a few fresh water possibilities. Still the country is good for one thing—gambling companies. For the past twenty years actually, Gibraltar has made its main economic advances with four different sectors, internet gambling and retail being two of them. Tourism speaks for itself—Gibraltar still offers an exotic locale for people to visit. It is small but has a unique climate and its cruise ship market is huge too. Visitors from Span visit Gibraltar daily for their own firsthand cruise ship adventures. Some of the most beautiful coasts are in the area and accessible to tourists via the small country.

The second market for them though is the market of gambling. This is proving to be one of the best decisions the country’s officials have made over the years. Online gambling companies and bookmakers have all flocked to the land for the purpose of favorable taxation laws. The country is known for its more-than reasonable taxation protocols and licensing fees. Working with corporate tax rules though is set to be phased out by the end of this year and replaced with an even lower tax law system for all companies entering the market. This is great news for gambling companies. They know that if they venture to the country they will continue to benefit from rules. Some countries are seeing the potential revenue and increasing their numbers. They see it as a way to take advantage of the surge in gaming. Gibraltar officials on the other hand are making it a point to work with gaming companies. They don’t want to lose the market and are proving they are more than willing to work with companies. If they can continue to garner more and more gambling companies though, they can continue to capitalize on the numbers. In a lot of ways—it is a numbers game. Gibraltar officials know this and are ready for the task of licensing gaming companies in the future.

If you know anything about the online gambling world and setting up casinos, then you know that Gibraltar is one of the premiere locations for gaming companies to set up shop. It is a location that has long been casino-friendly and had some of the lowest taxation tables for casinos to work with. Casinos are hard pressed to find the best locations for their licensing because of the costliness of the endeavor. Now Gibraltar is having problems though. It seems that a mayor of a city is looking for a full on investigation of the issues involved. He is questioning the policies and practices of Gibraltar when it comes to licensing online casinos. The mayor is arguing the information that companies provide for the sake of gaining licensing. Of course online casinos are big business. That means that they are the recipients of millions of dollars every month if they are successful. If the laws for licensing are minimal, that could cause problems with future accountability and regulatory notice.

According to other studies Gibraltar is a location where there seems to be a lack of tangible information on what the rules are to actually get licensed. The taxation laws are also sketchy. Part of the biggest issue was brought about by the mayor. He believes that if laws aren’t built to protect the state, it could open the door for future problems as more and more gambling companies move to Gibraltar for their licensing needs. And if taxation isn’t squared away either, it could also make more problems than solutions for the gaming communities. Gibraltar is growing to build a lot of its economy on gambling. If it does not come up with the proper rules and regulations for companies to follow—straight across the board—it could open the door for future problems as more companies come into the mix. It may take some time, but a formal investigation is well underway for the state to embark on. They need to find their right mix of profits and protocols that works for the companies involved, but also works for their individual needs as a country.

Missouri has long been debating the question of gambling. Not that it is undecided on gambling—it has casinos. But the problem was getting takers on the licenses it has open. Pinnacle Entertainment was the latest company to pull out of the gaming license they fought for. They originally were pining for the President in St Louis Missouri. The company wanted to open up the riverboat for renovation and develop it to what its former grand life of gambling was. In its glory days the riverboat was a thing to be watched. It was a glorious gaming center that offered a wide range of games for the market. If you loved gambling and loved riverboats, visiting the President was without a doubt a huge event for you. Originally the market was excited that Pinnacle Entertainment was the company showing interest in the reconstruction of the casino. Pinnacle being an expert at gambling centers, was the sure-fire company to turn things around. Unfortunately it was not to be. Pinnacle Entertainment quickly abandoned the license and moved on to different pursuits—namely pursuits they already had on the table. The project was scrapped though, leaving the gaming license without an alternative holder.

Pinnacle pulled out of the deal. Three months prior it already opened a casino in suburban St Louis costing a whopping $380 million. The company bought the President out of its bankruptcy about four years ago. The biggest issue of course is funding. Pinnacle took a huge hit when the gambling market declined as a result of the recession. There were people from all over who stopped visiting casinos. They had to—the economy was horrible, unemployment was up, house values were down and jobs were sparse. Customers were forced to cut back on their gambling and that seriously stifled casinos everywhere. Pinnacle was forced to opt out of the one gaming license they had hold of and only time will tell whether or not that was a good idea, or if the company is going to suffer an even greater loss by walking away from the gaming license they already were in possession of.

The state of Louisiana reached its deadline for gaming licenses this past Thursday. There was one gaming license left for a company to pick up and at the end of the day, four applicants made their moves. This one last license was the result of Pinnacle Entertainment’s return of their license back in April. Had Pinnacle held on to the license, they would have been the fifteenth casino license holders within the state. Now that license is up for grabs and four businesses want it. The world of gambling is big business. It is estimated that gambling is a $4-billion business and that is slated to only increase in coming years. It is said that by 2014 that number will be at $7-billion. For this reason the market is growing more and more competitive because gaming companies know how much money is at stake. Even a small casino operation can net millions ever fiscal year—even with heavy handed promotions and bonuses for customers.

All states in the US are highly coveted right now when it comes to getting more licenses for gambling. Louisiana is just one more that is in the midst of changes and allowing gaming licenses into the state’s boundaries. The legislators know how much is at stake and understand the millions of potential dollars. In past years the casino market has suffered due to the recession. Land-based casinos have seriously lost money due to people stopping their gambling habits. The recession caused millions of people to lose their jobs and that meant their discretionary funds were minimal. Though now things are turning around, the biggest changes coming to the market are the laws. US legislators are moving to legalize gambling and that means that the market should grow considerably. Louisiana is just one more state that is looking to capitalize on its gambling opportunities and this last gambling license will solidify its plan to bring in wagering dollars. Right now that one last license is being reviewed and the four candidates are being scrutinized. Only time will tell which one eventually wins the bid but one thing is for sure, whichever company it is will benefit greatly from the victory.

The world is calling for some online gambling regulation. That’s now though- since it first began a lot of gambling has operated virtually unregulated. Players and casinos began working their own systems out. If something didn’t work, it was altered. If something did work, it was made a staple in the business model. That was good for the industry on one hand because it allowed it to grow considerably. It let the industry set its own rules based on what it needs. On the bad side though, it’s means that there is room for untoward companies to enter the market and take advantage of players. With no government regulation and very few licensed jurisdiction with strict licensing requirements, anybody with the money and the know-how could launch a casino. Some of the billionaires of the online casino industry didn’t come from rich, well-to-do families. They were regular people that developed software and found eager investors that were willing to invest in the dream of opening an online casino that would reach millions of gamblers worldwide. Let’s face it, gambling is a great pastime that millions want. If you have the right know-how you can enter the market and be a serious contender for that market.

As the industry has continued to change many countries have begun to make moves to regulate and legalize online gambling within their borders. Once that happens, many of the old self-made regulators will have to take a step down and follow suit with the regulators of their particular areas. Even companies that set up shop in distant places like Macau or Gibraltar for the purpose of setting their own rules will have to acclimate to the new rules coming into the gambling world. The biggest winner when it comes to regulated online gambling is the government. There are millions of tax-revenue dollars coming into play with the legalization and regulation of casinos. Not only are governments looking to charge licensing fees, they are also charging taxes on all monies won and all monies collected. Added together that makes for a great income and legislators know it. That is why they are pushing hard to come up with laws that work for them and their budgets.

Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course can continue operations. The casino just went through the relicensing process it needed from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The casino is required to go through a yearly hearing to maintain its operating license. Several casino officials, including John Finamore, senior vice president of parent company Penn National Gaming Inc., and Hollywood general manager Frank Quigley, spoke about the casino positively. They assured the board that the casino will be a beneficial move for the community. They cite the creation of more than 1,000 jobs as one of the biggest bonuses of the move. In the end it was the testimony of Michael Rosenberry of the Gaming Board’s bureau of investigations and enforcement that seemed to ensure the casino’s reapproval. Rosenberry was key to conducting an intensive and thorough back background investigation and since it came back clean, he stated that there is no reason “to decline the casino’s relicensing for the 2010 year.”

The only negative incident came from State Police Capt. Timothy Allue, director of gaming enforcement, who said there were 440 investigations of criminal activity at the casino so far this year. Of those investigations, Allue stated that 286 of those were theft probes — most involving slot machine voucher coupons — and of that number 248 were resolved on the gaming floor. “A large number of those were cases of a person keeping a voucher that a previous patron forgot to cash out or left in the machine”, he said. He also confirmed that given the number of people who visit the casino each year, 440 crimes of this nature “is not a figure I’m alarmed with.” In his testimony, Quigley said the casino projects revenue of $236.8 million for 2009 and will return more than $80 million to the state in property tax relief and $14.7 million to local and county governments

Overall everyone is looking at the relicensing as a positive move for the community and hoping the job creation aspect of the issue will truly bring a change to the market. Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course is one of the biggest assets the community has and they want to take full advantage of all that it can do for residents in the area.