Governments in Central America and the Caribbean need to tighten rules to prevent gambling websites that still accept US bets from laundering proceeds through their jurisdictions, the US State Department has said.

The impending development of resort casinos in Jamaica will greatly increase the Caribbean island’s vulnerability to money laundering, according to a new US State Department report, which also underscores serious concerns about regulatory oversight of casino gaming in Cambodia, Macau and the Philippines.

The recent ‘Bwin Liga’ decision in the European Court of Justice underlined how the perceived connection between gambling businesses, money laundering and crime remains a significant global issue - but further studies have found little cause for concern in well-regulated jurisdictions, write Professor Joe Kelly of SUNY College, Buffalo and Mark Clayton, a former Nevada gaming regulator and lawyer with Lionel Sawyer & Collins in Las Vegas.

Watchdogs at the Financial Action Task Force have honed in on floating casinos and unregulated junket operators as particular areas of concern in a new report on money laundering risks surrounding the global gaming industry.

The crime of money laundering, the process of hiding the illegal origin of the proceeds of criminal activities should be an area of vigilance to the gambling community and one in which operators should have an awareness of the latest developments involving transnational, regional and national responses to combat this crime- for the consequences of not being vigilant and complying with regulations could be ruinous for the operator’s business and reputation, at the very least. Gambling Compliance has compiled this resource page as a portal to the international and regional responses to this crime.

In mid-October, the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) published its report on the state of Macau’s money laundering regime, saying that although progress has been made, there is still room for improvement. Nevertheless, the APG’s prescriptions may end up being more aspirational than practical, at least in the short term.

Following the recent announcement by the UK government that it was going to introduce a new licensing regime for offshore online gambling operators, Antigua and Barbuda is yet to assess the impact such change will have on the country.

There is a convergence in the approach to key regulatory issues among the principal offshore remote gambling regulators. The increasing tendency towards a standard approach to responsible gambling and the protection of young and vulnerable gamblers, and maintenance of technical standards is also reflected in the approach to money laundering regulations.

The opening of Guyana's first casino during February 2010 has marked the arrival of this nascent industry in the country. This development has taken a number of years to come into fruition, with an independent regulator along with strengthened anti-money laundering legislation required.

Last year Cambodia shut the door on most forms of legal gambling. Sports betting, slot halls and internet gambling venues were closed in the crackdown. Meanwhile the government is attempting to use resort casinos as a tourism-driven economic development tool.