The Government has today issued a detailed consultation paper, including draft legislation, for a Bill for a Gambling Ordinance. The consultation paper, which has been sent to all licensed gaming companies in Gibraltar, is also publicly available on the Government’s website (see Press Releases). The Consultation paper invites the views and comments of the industry by 31 July 2005.

The proposed Gambling Ordinance is intended to modernise Gibraltar’s very old gaming legislation, and to create a statutory Licensing and Regulatory framework, in the light of Gibraltar’s status as a leading jurisdiction for on-line gaming.

Commenting on the consultation paper, Chief Minister Peter Caruana, who has ministerial responsibility for gaming, said:-

“This Government has always attached and continues to attach considerable importance to the protection of Gibraltar’s jurisdictional reputation, as well as to providing an operating environment that protects the corporate reputation of gaming companies established here. This draft legislation is intended to update the statutory framework to ensure that Government is able to continue doing so in the light of the recent growth in new gaming activities. It is the Government’s intention to take a Gambling Bill to the House of Assembly early in the Autumn.”