Lock Poker is Very Much Still Licensed

Despite a rather out-of-left-field statement issued by the Government of Malta on Monday (August 29, 2011), Lock Poker is still very much licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission and holds a separate license in the Dutch Antilles island of Curacao.

The Maltese Government recently issued an online gambling license to the Merge Gaming Network, which hosts Lock’s online poker room.  A number of Merge skins, including Lock Poker, began adding the seal to their own sites.  Malta apparently has not approved its seal appearing on the individual Merge Network websites without prior authorization, electing to single out one of the network’s bigger rooms, Lock.

Gambling911.com can confirm that Lock Poker has not lost any previously granted licenses, which has been suggested by some media and forum outlets.  Lock Poker is licensed the same way as all other skins on the network, though some have additional licenses (i.e. The Sportsbook.com Group is also licensed in Antigua). 

Similar confusion occurred in 1999 when Starnet Communications, one of the biggest online gambling software companies at the time, relocated to the island nation of Antigua.  While Starnet was immediately granted a license by the Antiguan Government, its various brands were issued sub-licenses.  This became an issue when it was learned that one of the Starnet clients was operating from the state of Massachusetts. 

Sources close to G911.co expect this issue to be resolved shortly. 

- Chris Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher