Global Betting and Gaming Consultants (GBGC) has launched its global gambling index, the GBGC Global Gambling 50 (GBGC 50), which tracks the performance of the 50 leading stocks that specialise in the betting and gaming industry.

GBGC says it has now tracked the 50 largest specialist gambling corporations for the last 12 months and will continue to track them week-by-week.

The company says that during the year to the end of the third quarter, GBGC 50 has beaten the Dow Industrial Average by 48 per cent and the FTSE by 57 per cent.

The GBGC 50's current 'leading three companies by market capitalisation' are named as International Game Technology at US$6,259m; MGM-Mirage at US$5,966m and Harrah's Entertainment at US$5,502m.

GBGC says during this year Rank rose to fourth at US$2,498.1m to become the largest non-US gambling stock and in doing so overtook Park Place; newly floated William Hill are ninth at US$1,496m.

Boyd Gaming is listed as showing the 'most spectacular growth' over the last 12 months adding 326 per cent to its share value.

GBGC says there is a growing realisation that illegal gambling, whether it be land-based or in cyberspace, cannot be controlled by prohibitive legislation and that gambling is becoming readily accessible the world over.

'As a result there is an ongoing deregulation of markets as governments realise that it is better to offer their citizens regulated gambling opportunities rather than leave them exposed to unregulated ones.'

The company says there will be continued expansion opportunities within what it describes as a 'legitimate 21st Century leisure activity'. Details: www.bettingconsultants.com