**EXHIBIT 31.1**

 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

 

SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

I,            Neil S. Wechsler, certify that:

 

| 1) | I have reviewed this report on Form                            10-Q of Optimal Group Inc. (the “Registrant”); |
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| 2) | Based on my knowledge, this report                            does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to                            state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light                            of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not                            misleading with respect to the period covered by this                            report; |
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| 3) | Based on my knowledge, the financial                            statements, and other financial information included in this report,                            fairly present in all material respects the financial condition,                            results of operations and cash flows of the Registrant as of, and for,                            the periods presented in this report; |
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| 4) | The Registrant’s other                            certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and                            maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange                            Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial                            reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f))                            for the Registrant and we have: |
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|   | i) | designed such disclosure controls and                            procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be                            designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information                            relating to the Registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is                            made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during                            the period in which this report is being prepared; |
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|   | ii) | designed such internal control over                            financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial                            reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable                            assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the                            preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance                            with generally accepted accounting principles; |
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|   | iii) | evaluated the effectiveness of the                            Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in                            this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure                            controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this                            report based on such evaluation; and |
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|   | iv) | Disclosed in this report any change                            in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting                            that occurred during the Registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter                            that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially                            affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial                            reporting; |
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| 5) | The Registrant’s other                            certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent                            evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the                            Registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of                            Registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the                            equivalent function): |
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|   | i) | all significant deficiencies and                            material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls                            over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely                            affect the Registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and                            report financial information; and |
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|   | ii) | any fraud, whether or not material,                            that involves management or other employees who have a significant role                            in the Registrant’s internal control over financial                            reporting. |
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| Date: | November 9, 2007 |
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|   | By: | /s/ Neil S. Wechsler |
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|   | Neil S. Wechsler |
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|   | Co-Chairman and |
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|   | Chief Executive Officer |
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