Jersey has decided to seek the advice of a number of Israeli companies in preparation for the hosting of online gambling sites. The Channel Island has followed in the footsteps of both Guernsey and Alderney as they just about hoisted themselves onto the online gambling bandwagon earlier this year.
Alan Mclean, the minister for economic development that has pushed so hard for regulation led a delegation to Israel in order to help Jersey develops its online gaming market.
“We want to optimize our new e-gaming legislation and we’ve identified Israel as offering many opportunities,” said Maclean.
Israel is home to Teddy Sagi’s Playtech online casino software provider that comes with the added clout of Sagi himself should they need help on the doors of Jersey’s nightclubs and bars. Another Israel-based site, Playtika, was also sold to Caesar’s for around $80m just last week.
Of course Israel itself is by no means a place where online gambling is welcomed but they have the software that Jersey hopes will be the cherry on top of their cake.
Elsewhere, a racetrack in the home province of Calvin Ayre has announced they’ll be utilizing the Internet ahead of the upcoming season. Bettors in Saskatchewan and four other provinces will be able to place wagers online this season and the site will also be offering live streaming of races the world round.
Racing Manager Rick Fior told The StarPhoenix, “It is a big initiative. It’s something we’d thought about in the past, but our fields hadn’t been quite large enough to pursue it.”
They’re also hoping to get a large following from as far afield as Ontario that may be possible due to it being only one of two tracks that offers thoroughbred racing on a Saturday. It’s run through HorsePlayer Interactive, and Fior explained that’s the same as other forms of gambling.
He said: “At HPI, you have to join. I’m of the feeling that if a person doesn’t want to join they don’t have to. It’s a touchy situation, but I think (for) horse racing . . . you actually study the form and pick the horse you think is going to win, unlike VLTs which is more luck.
“Let’s put it this way: When you bet a horse to win, you have a 1-in-10 chance of winning. Which is pretty good.”
Churchill Downs has already shown a certain degree of success with a similar system meaning it may be good news for those in Saskatchewan.
