Telecommunications provider Jersey Telecom has lauded last week’s landmark vote by Jersey’s state parliament to include e-gaming in the new Gambling Law, paving the way for the States of Jersey to become the latest hub for online gaming operators.
Jersey Telecom said that the decision would allow for the development of a new industry for Jersey which will be of benefit both to the Island’s economy and to its telecommunication’s infrastructure.
“JT fully supports the States’ commitment to diversify the local economy and we are delighted with this decision to include e-Gaming in the new Gambling Law, which will deliver significant economic growth opportunities,” said Tim Ringsdore, MD of the CI Division at Jersey Telecom.
“We have been involved in e-gaming in Guernsey, through our sister company Wave Telecom, since 2007, and it has proved a very positive addition to the economy, and enabled the Island to rapidly grow its telecommunications links with the rest of the world. We have been calling for a similar initiative to be undertaken in Jersey too.”
In anticipation of the States’ decision, Jersey Telecom has invested more than £15m developing data hosting centres in order to provide the best possible environment for an online gaming industry.
This includes the recent approval for another new data centre due for completion in the next 12 months. The company has also made a multi-million pound investment in the telecommunications links between Jersey and the rest of the world which now provide virtually unlimited capacity to accommodate industries such as online gaming.
“We are very confident in the future of this new industry, and the positive benefits it will bring to Jersey,” continued Ringsdore. “This decision by the States supports the considerable investment we have made in the Island’s telecommunications infrastructure which now offers e-gaming firms a secure and resilient option for hosting their online services with access to as much capacity as they require to connect to the rest of the world.”
Jersey’s Economic Development Department was tasked to deliver a new modern Gambling Law, together with a new regulatory structure based upon a Jersey Gambling Commission which was launched last December.