Sands Casino Going Online in U.K.
Cantor Gaming is an affiliate of financial services company Cantor Fitzgerald.
"This is another opportunity for our company to create greater awareness of our global brands and further establish our presence and interest in the U.K. market," said Bill Weidner, the chief operating officer (COO) of Las Vegas Sands. "As the Internet gaming landscape continues to evolve, this effort will put us in a strong position to evaluate and react to other potential opportunities."
The new move comes just two months after the U.S. government launched an attack on Internet gambling, harming what many analysts call "the most important market" for gambling Web sites.
Palazzo, Paiza
The new Las Vegas Sands Web site is slated to be launched in the second quarter of 2007, and will feature the company's best-known brands, including The Venetian, Sands, Palazzo and Paiza.Over in Europe, online gamblers bet nearly $6.9 billion a year, an average of $2,000 each, annually, according to U.K. government figures. Europe accounts for close to half of the global online gaming market, research shows.
Rival MGM Mirage Inc.launched PlayMGMMirage.com in 2001, but shut it down in 2003. Today, analysts said, there are thousands of gaming sites online, but none with brands as famous as the Sands.
The new Sands casino offering will be part of a full "end-to-end gaming service," including customer age and location verification, online payment processing and customer services. The site is expected to be launched during the second quarter of 2007. The site will be hosted, and the operator will be licensed, in compliance with the laws of Alderney, British Channel Islands, and it will not accept customers who indicate they are from the U.S.
Weidner said the Sands chose Cantor to help develop the site, as the company has expertise in managing "sophisticated financial transactions." What is more, the Wall Street firm -- whose offices were ravaged on 9-11 when the Twin Towers fell, due to terrorist attacks -- is familiar with working in regulated environments in which they operate, and has been successful licensing within the state of Nevada.
"This is the not the first partnership between the two organizations," said Weidner. "In May, Las Vegas Sands announced The Venetian's plans to become the first Nevada casino to provide mobile gaming based upon Cantor technology."
According to Lee Amaitis, president of Cantor Gaming, the Sands is "one of the most innovative hotel and resort casino operators in the world, and provides customers with an unparalleled online gaming experience. I am excited by the enormous potential of this partnership and look forward to developing this long-term relationship further."
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