The UK online poker market is the most fiercely competitive in the world right now and two heavy hitters are teaming up to take it on.

Blue chip outfits Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Cantor Gaming have joined forces to announce plans for an online casino and poker site aimed at serving the United Kingdom market.

It seems the industry is focusing heavily on the UK while waiting for the massive US market to come back online – a development which many see as inevitable once the political landscape changes stateside.

Favourable market conditions, driven partly by the UK government, means operators will increasingly base their operations in and around the British Isles, and strike at the global market from a position of strength.

Las Vegas Sands controls some of the biggest names on the strip, holdings that are synonymous with quality gambling such as Venetian, Sands, Palazzo, and Paiza, while Cantor Gaming is an affiliate of the global financial services company Cantor Fitzgerald.

The site will offer the most popular casino games, including blackjack, roulette, baccarat, video poker, slots, and of course online poker.

The offering will be part of a full end-to-end gaming service, including customer age and location verification, online payment processing, and customer services. The site is expected to be launched during the second quarter of 2007.

The site will be hosted, and the operator will be licensed, in compliance with the laws of Alderney, British Channel Islands. It will not accept U.S. customers.

"This is another opportunity for our company to create greater awareness of our global brands and further establish our presence and interest in the UK market," said Bill Weidner, president and chief operating officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp.

"Additionally, as the internet gaming landscape continues to evolve this effort will put us in a strong position to evaluate and react to other potential opportunities."

Weidner said Cantor's expertise in managing sophisticated financial transactions, the regulatory environment in which they operate, and their successful licensing within the state of Nevada made partnering with them an easy decision.

This is the not the first partnership between the two organizations. In May, Las Vegas Sands announced The Venetian's plans to become the first Nevada casino to provide mobile gaming based upon Cantor technology.

Lee Amaitis, President of Cantor Gaming said, "I am delighted to have reached another agreement with Las Vegas Sands organization, one of the most innovative hotel and resort casino operators in the world, to provide customers with an unparalleled online gaming experience. I am excited by the enormous potential of this partnership and look forward to developing this long-term relationship further."