Online Gambling in Gibraltar
Gibraltar is located at the southern most tip of Europe - on the tip of the Iberian Peninsula, north of Morocco and south of Spain. It was always known as a stable financial center and was a natural choice as an online gambling jurisdiction.
Today, Gibraltar is known as the home of some of the biggest names in online gambling. Companies like Victor Chandler, Ladbrokes, Stan James, Eurobet, Bwin and the Party Gaming Plc operate from Gibraltar.
Gibraltar's Gambling Act of 2005 requires all gaming operations to be licensed. Remote Gambling licenses, including for telephone and internet betting, are issued by the Licensing Authority.
The Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, in turn, is the Gambling Commissioner under the provisions of the Gambling Act of 2005. The Act grants the Gambling Commissioner powers to ensure that licensees conduct their operations in accordance with their licenses and in a manner as to maintain the good reputation of Gibraltar.
As at October 1, 2010 there are 19 licensed operators in Gibraltar. These are:
- Ladbrokes (International) Ltd
- Victor Chandler (International) Ltd
- Eurobet (Gibraltar) Ltd
- Stan James (Gibraltar) Ltd
- Bwin International Ltd
- Tower Rock Limited (Carmen Media Group Ltd)
- St Minver Ltd
- 32 Red Plc
- Digibet Ltd
- Cassava Enterprises (Gibraltar) Ltd (888.com Plc)
- Mansion (Gibraltar) Ltd
- Partygaming Plc (PGB Ltd)
- Prospreads Limited (formerly FuturesBetting.com Ltd)
- Partouche Interactive (Gibraltar) Ltd
- WHG (International) Ltd (formerly William Hill (Gibraltar) Ltd)
- Hillside (Gibraltar) Ltd (Bet365 Group Ltd)
- Petfre (Gibraltar) Ltd (Betfred)
- Gamesys (Gibraltar) Ltd (formerly Entertaining Play Limited)
- Probablility (Gibraltar) Ltd
Online gambling started in Gibraltar in 1989 when British betting operators opened offices in Gibraltar and began taking wagers over the telephone. Since then, the industry has grown tremendously.
The Gibraltar Regulatory Authority issued its first online gaming licenses in 1998.
The Gibraltar Regulatory authority is responsible for framing regulatory policies, evaluating applications for new licenses, investigating breach of license conditions and resolving disputes between player and operator.
Available Online Gambling Games from Gibraltar
- Fixed-odds (online sports books)
- Casino
- Financial Spread Betting (betting exchanges)
About Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. It is a peninsula with an area of 6.843 kmē (about 2.6 square miles). Gibraltar's isthmus connects to the north with Spain.
The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region. At its foot is the densely populated city area, home to almost 30,000 Gibraltarians and other nationalities.
An Anglo-Dutch force captured Gibraltar in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. The territory was subsequently ceded to Britain by Spain under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. It became an important base for the British Royal Navy, which drove the local economy and provided employment for a large portion of the local population. Today its economy is based largely on tourism, financial services and shipping.
The sovereignty of Gibraltar is a major point of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations as Spain asserts a claim to the territory and seeks its return. Gibraltarians resoundingly rejected proposals for Spanish sovereignty in referenda held in 1967 and 2002. Under its 2006 constitution Gibraltar governs its own affairs, though some powers, such as defense and foreign relations, are reserved to the UK Government.