GPS system to detect gamblers location
Nevada regulators assured that this system really
works
July 2, 2004
The Nevada Gaming Commission in Carson City was assured at a public
hearing this week that a GPS system offers a foolproof method for
guaranteeing that prospective intrastate gamblers are truly situated
within the state’s borders.
The primary topic on the agenda involved the exploration of electronic
means to regulate remote gambling that might take place within the
state’s boundaries. Among the invitees before the commission
was Global Cyber Licensing LLC of Denver, Colorado.
Speaking on behalf of Global Cyber in front of the five commissioners
were Bill White [CEO] and Paul Siegel [VP], who explained that the
company’s Web-based service that employs the U.S. Global Positioning
System was a highly effective method for establishing player location.
Two years ago, Governor Kenny Guinn signed legislation that legalized
Internet gambling in the state of Nevada. The process is now more
broadly referred to as remote gambling as it encompasses a variety
of play-for-pay options that can occur outside a land casino’s
walls.
This might include cell phone wagering and kiosk-type gambling from
non-traditional locations, as well as the standard profile of at-home
gamblers who play slot- and poker-type games on the Internet.
As part of the original legislation, the state’s Gaming Control
Board was asked to write a series of regulations that would govern
participation and ensure that play was both fair and within the
bounds of legality. One of the most important factors involves determining
conclusively that registered gamblers are participating only from
within the state’s geographic borders. Because the Internet
is borderless, the Control Board has to date been unable to create
rules or adopt the means for making this determination.
Bill White’s opening remarks to the Commission included the
statement, “Remote gambling and land-based gambling
are essentially the same. Only the methods of delivery are different.
We are here today to show how you can extend the same sort of regulatory
oversight to remote gambling that is currently enjoyed with casino-based
gambling.” He went on to describe the GPS technology
that governs Global Cyber’s service. “With this
mouse-sized GPS receiver plugged into a player’s computer,
Nevada regulators can determine the exact location of any registered
gambler.”
Part of the 10-minute presentation involved a live demonstration
of Global Cyber’s GPS system. The commissioners were able
to see the data stream of GPS signals displayed on Mr. White’s
laptop computer, as well as post-processed information that confirmed
the location of the computer to within just a few meters.
Afterward, speaking to reporters and other interested parties outside
the hearing room, Paul Siegel explained the importance of Global
Cyber’s service.
“Until now it was nearly impossible to accurately receive
GPS signals indoors. We’ve spent more than $6 million and
three-plus years working on perfecting this system, but only in
the last four or five months has a reliable indoor GPS receiver
been available on the market.”
Global Cyber Licensing holds an exclusive license to deploy this
system worldwide for use in Internet gambling operations.
Siegel added, “Our marketing strategy involves introducing
this service to gambling regulators worldwide and obtaining their
decisions to adopt it as the standard for providing border control
within their jurisdictions. The availability of effective border
control could open the way for Internet gambling to become a legitimate
industry in many jurisdictions throughout the world.”
For the next monthly meeting of the Nevada Gaming Commission, a
summary of each of the presented technologies will be reviewed.
In addition to Global Cyber’s GPS-based border control service,
the group will also consider services that help determine that prospective
remote players are of legal gambling age, which is 21in Nevada.
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