Burnett: Europe provides a model
In a recent interview with Yogonet.com, A.G. Burnett, chairman of the Nevada State Gaming Control Board, said he is concentrating his efforts on “fulfilling the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement’s mandates,” which will affirm the foundation of online wagering in and out of the Silver State.
“We will continue to regulate online poker in the state and ensure integrity of the games and of the operators who offer them,” said Burnett. “We will also gladly meet with any other states interested in becoming part of the MSIGA.”
Burnett made no predictions about how online gaming will evolve, but said a multistate agreement “would be beneficial to all.” He also said a federal law is “theoretically” possible, and added that he looks to the European online market as a model of how the system could work in the U.S.
“The experience of the operators and the regulators is remarkable,” Burnett said. “I think the European market has served as a context for our understanding of what the American market could be, and it an example of where the market may go. … In the end, the European market is successful and that is a credit to its regulators, and to the operators themselves.”
Asked to cite the most advanced and mature regulatory frameworks, Burnett mentioned Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, Alderney, Spain, Italy, and the U.K.
“You must analyze each in accordance with the historical and cultural reasons for their existence and the mandates their governments have given them,” he observed. “One thing that has been particularly helpful is the International Association of Gaming Regulators. IAGR has provided a great forum for all of us to discuss our issues, the problems we encounter, and how we can all solve them.”
