Weather they like it or not, Malta is the newest gambling hub.

Euro Poker: UK Regulations Force InterPoker to Malta

InterCasino and InterPoker Receive EU Licence and Avoid UK Regulatory Clampdown

InterCasino and InterPoker have been granted online casino gaming and online poker licenses from the government of Malta. Pursuant to their licence, the companies have successfully completed the stringent requirements of the Maltese government to operate their online gaming business from Malta.

Recognized as blue-chip brands throughout Europe, InterCasino and InterPoker chose to relocate their servers to Malta due to the country’s progressive policy in online gaming regulation, and because of the operational advantages across Europe that an online gaming license within the EU affords. It has already been recognized by the United Kingdom that InterCasino and InterPoker’s Maltese license places these companies on a white-list of compliant operators allowed to advertise within the UK.

Besides players, the other beneficiaries of InterCasino and InterPoker’s Maltese license are the company’s affiliates and marketing partners who will be able to continue marketing these brands across the EU.

InterCasino Group Spokesman Peter Marcus said of the move, “We are very pleased to confirm that InterCasino and InterPoker now have a full European license in the EU territory of Malta. Following increased regulation of online gaming across the world, InterPoker and InterCasino have moved our business, servers, and official license to Malta. We have done this to ensure that all our customers are able to enjoy playing at InterPoker in the full knowledge that their gameplay will be with the premier European gaming license jurisdiction.”

"InterCasino was the first gaming company to advertise on TV under the next regulations," said Marcus. "We've bought the time, about five months, and our ad went out at 9:01 p.m. on Saturday, September first."

At the end of August 2007 The Malta Times reported that 27 international companies were in the process of shifting their online operations to the island.

The paper reported that — along with InterCasino — William Hill, Littlewoods, Playboy Casino, and Virgin Games were among the Internet poker and casino companies making the move as a direct result of the introduction of the UK's Gambling Act 2005, which came into force on Sept. 1.

The new law permits only gambling companies based in the European Economic Area or on a government white list to advertise in the UK.

The only non-EEA jursidictions on the list are Alderney and the Isle of Man.