In a huge victory for the Caribbean nation of Antigua Wednesday, it was announced online gambling companies based there can now advertise their services in the United Kingdom.
Antigua and Barbuda has successfully attained white list certification from the UK Department of Culture, Media and Sport, according to Aarati Jagdeo of the Antigua Sun.
By attaining this white list status, remote gaming operators based in Antigua and Barbuda will, as of 21 Nov., be allowed to advertise their services to consumers in the UK and promote the expansion of Antigua and Barbuda's online gaming industry.
According to Mark Mendel, Antigua and Barbuda's attorney at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), this achievement makes Antigua and Barbuda the only non-EU (European Union) country, other than Tasmania, to receive white list certification.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the independent self-regulatory organisation (SRO) of the advertising industry in the United Kingdom. The ASA is a non-statutory organisation and so cannot interpret or enforce legislation. However, its code of advertising practice broadly reflects legislation in many instances. The ASA is not funded by the British Government, but by a levy on the advertising industry.
Its role is to "regulate the content of advertisements, sales promotions and direct marketing in the UK" by investigating "complaints made about ads, sales promotions or direct marketing", and deciding whether such advertising complies with its advertising standards codes. These codes stipulate that "before distributing or submitting a marketing communication for publication, marketers must hold documentary evidence to prove all claims, whether direct or implied, that are capable of objective substantiation" and that "no marketing communication should mislead, or be likely to mislead, by inaccuracy, ambiguity, exaggeration, omission or otherwise".
Since its establishment early last year, the ASA has banned a number of online gambling advertisements it deemed "inappropriate".
Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
