The state most famous for its wide-open gambling may soon join the twenty-first-century move to online gaming. Officials with the Nevada Gaming Control Board announced that they have reached a consulting agreement with the Alderney Gambling Control Commission, an overseas agency that regulates several offshore gaming sites.

 

 

The two agencies agreed to share information on how to structure a regulatory schedule for online gaming within the state. The Alderney Gambling Control Commission, based in the British Channel Islands, has been overseeing various online gaming sites, including the popular online poker site Full Tilt Poker, since May 2000.

 

 

Andre Wilsenach, Chief Executive Officer of the AGCC, said that his group is “very pleased” to be working with the Nevada agency. “Cooperation with other regulatory bodies around the world is fundamental to being a successful regulatory body,” Wilsenach said in a press statement. “We are looking forward to working with them in the areas of investigations, compliance and developing technical standards.”

 

 

Mark Lipparelli, Chairman of the NGCB, said that his group “must adapt as an agency” for the changing climate. “We are fortunate and appreciative of our relationships with governments around the globe similar to what we have developed with the AGCC. Formalizing these distant relationships is a benefit to all involved from many perspectives including cost, time and quality.”

 

 

Several other states, including California, Florida and New Jersey, are also considering allowing for legal online gambling within their borders. However, any state that passes such online gambling legislation may encounter a legal battle from federal authorities. States must show that their regulations do not conflict with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which prohibits US-based banks from dealing with online gaming sites.