Gyneth McAllister, the Antigua Director of Offshore Gaming, told IGN today that she has officially resigned her position effective June 16, 2000. During her tenure, McAllister saw Antigua become the largest interactive gaming licensing jurisdiction, issuing more than 80 virtual casino or sportsbook licenses. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Lester Bird's office, however, indicated that the PM hasn't yet received her resignation.
In a letter addressed to Bird, McAllister wrote:
Over the last several years the world has undergone a fundamental conceptual change due to the advent of the Internet and with it the traditional concepts of jurisdictional boundaries, personal privacy and government regulation. As it is with any new concept, there will be differing approaches to dealing with the aforementioned concepts. Unfortunately, my vision and style of government regulation of e-gaming is seemingly out of step with the industry and government of Antigua and
Barbuda.
Rumors of McAllister's possible resignation had been swirling for months. The outspoken McAllister reportedly had been the target of numerous death threats following stormy meetings between the Directorate and its licensees regarding sweeping changes in both the regulation and taxation of interactive gaming. McAllister has been part of the driving force behind proposed legislation to implement a 2 percent tax and develop a monitoring system that would track and record all transactions on operators' sites. Licensees are outraged because the proposed "black boxes" to be hooked up to their computers would give the government access to all their data.
Despite the widespread dissension, not all operators are at odds with McAllister. "We're very sorry to see her go," added Ed Starr, president of Starnet Systems. "We felt the path she was pursuing with regards to more stringent regulations was the appropriate path to go. We hope that the government continues on this path."
One licensee expressed astonishment about her resignation. The unnamed operator praised her contribution to the interactive gaming community and called her an "excellent spokesperson" for the tiny island regime. He also said that she attempted to resign a few weeks back, but the Prime Minister would not accept the resignation.
McAllister, named director upon the establishment of the Directorate in April 1999, has been a voice for Antigua, and for the industry as a whole, since the beginnings of Internet gambling.
"I have been working on regulations which would revolutionize the regulation of the offshore gaming industry, but in order to fulfill an objective of this magnitude, the unswerving commitment to the task must
include that of the government and those to be regulated," McAllister explained in a letter to several industry members. "This would have been a mammoth achievement for any government and a crowning glory for the industry at large. Unfortunately, in a world of compromise, dreams must be
compromised also."
McAllister hasn't commented on her future plans.