Genting Prepares for Expanded Worldwide Online Gambling
The Malaysian-based gaming company Genting is launching its first venture into online gambling with the opening of CircusCasino.com on Friday. Genting owns several brick-and-mortar casinos, including those in the United Kingdom run by subsidiary Stanley Leisure.
Stanley had attempted to open its own online casino several times before being purchased by Genting in 2006, but was unsuccessful.
The new CircusCasino will be registered and licensed in the United Kingdom. Genting sees the opportunity to use the new site as a base from which to expand into online gaming operations in Asia.
Asian online gambling laws are currently in flux, with many countries coming to the realization that regulation and taxation are preferable in every way to prohibition. Genting will use CircusCasino as a means to test methods and operations in preparation for a big jump as Asian markets open.
While some online casinos struggle to tread water after the American market was shut down in 2006 by passage of the UIGEA, Genting figures that its access to player lists and high-roller memberships from its land casinos gives it a huge edge in securing clientele for online play.
Gemting management sees that online betting is clearly the wave of the future, and wishes to establish itself before all the foolish bans on online gambling are lifted, a marketing strategy that seems highly likely to prove profitable.
