UK Gambling Commission responds to White List concerns

In response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act submitted by gambling consultant and lobbyist Steve Donoughue, the UK's gambling regulation body admitted that it had not even visited Antigua and Barbuda to examine its regulatory systems before adding it to its White List of approved jurisdictions, allowing remote gaming operators licensed there to advertise to consumers in the UK.

The Commission said: "No member of the Commission has physically visited any white listed jurisdiction to investigate and corroborate the information provided by that jurisdiction in their White List application.

"However, we carry out cost-effective ongoing reviews of white list operators as part of our regulatory work. This includes desk top based compliance checks to verify social responsibility measures are adequate as well as other checks related to the ability of these operators to advertise in the UK."

Antigua and Barbuda was initially rejected in its first round of applications back in August 2007 and was added to the White List by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) after "a reconsideration of Antigua's application following further representations made to the Secretary of State," according to Donoughue's research.

Antigua joins Alderney, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, Tasmania, and all countries within the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) on the UK government’s list of jurisdictions approved to advertise in the UK.