Volcano Ash Cloud Fears Loom as Affiliate Super Show Nears
It's being billed as the biggest gathering of online gambling professionals this industry has ever seen. The iGaming Super Show takes place in Prague, Czech Republic May 25 through 28 but getting there might be difficult should an Iceland volcano continue to spew more ash.
Once again this weekend, airports throughout Europe were shutting down due to the dangerous flying conditions associated with the ash cloud.
Eurocontrol is in charge of Europe's air traffic and it said that more ash from Eyjafjallajökull, the volcano that has bought Europe to a standstill, has now moved south from the North Atlantic and is spreading over the south of France.
Flight delays and cancellations are expected to continue into next week.
And even if the airspace above Prague is not affected, those travelling to the event could experience difficulties connecting through other airports. Direct flights to Prague are either limited or too expensive. Many travelling from North America will rely on European gateways such as London, Paris and Frankfurt.
Airspace over the southern Czech Republic was closed on Sunday to flights at altitudes under 6 kilometres though Prague's international airport remained open.
It is not immediately known whether organizers have a contingency plan in place. A SARS outbreak in 2003 resulted in the postponement of the biggest online gambling conference of that time, the Global iGaming Summit & Expo (GIGSE). The popular Casino Affiliate Convention held in Amsterdam last month managed to dodge a bullet, however, the volcano ash cloud stranded many attendees once the event had concluded.
Gambling911.com will be attending this month's iGaming Super Show, assuming the ash cloud dissipates by then.
Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
