Betfair lays ground for US web casino u-turn
Posted by Gavin Smith on 21 Jul 2009 at 11:07
Online betting specialist Betfair is looking to build a name for itself in the US while similar firms steer clear of America, according to reports.
Online Casino Sphere said while some gambling operators stay away from the US as the country debates allowing online gambling again, Betfair is looking to muscle in with its horseracing service.
According to Online Casino Sphere, horse racing betting operates through the internet in America without hindrance from the authorities, despite the US Department of Justice saying any form of internet gaming is illegal.
The Casino Sphere report gave the example of Churchill Downs, one of a number of racing operators who go untroubled by the authorities in America while the likes of poker firms and internet casinos face prosecution.
Betfair has chosen to make moves in America ahead of the anticipated resurgence in the sector.
Online Casinos Sphere quoted Gerrard Cunningham, Betfair's director of US operations, as saying: "When other forms of gambling become legal, we'll be ready."
The report also said that the company is gearing up its American systems to serve certain regions of America differently as local laws change, so the likes of poker and casinos might be legal in one state, while only racing might be permitted in another.
The idea is apparently to keep Betfair's reputation clean in America while it builds foundations ahead of the expected overturn of the US online gaming ban.
And the company is determined to stay whiter than white, with Cunningham quoted as saying: "If it's even a grey area we're not going to touch it."
