UK Gambling Industry To Get Stricter Regulation

A draft bill published yesterday by the UK’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport sees a significant shift in how gambling will be regulated in the country in the future.

In an effort to more closely regulate oversees operators the British state will shift to a ‘point of consumption tax’ which means anyone selling (or advertising) a gambling service to a UK citizen will be required to hold a license no matter where they are based.

While the draft bill makes no specific mention of poker – it explicitly mentions remote gambling including online bingo, casino websites and telephone betting – it is thought it’s likely to cover standalone poker operators too although any tax (currently set at 15 percent) will be on the gross profits of the operators and not directly targeted at consumers.

The Minister for Sport & Tourism, Hugh Robertson, said, “These proposals will ensure that British consumers enjoy consistent standards of protection, regardless of where a gambling business is based, and will also help the fight against illegal activity and corruption in sports betting.”

One of the UK’s largest bookmakers William Hill, with a significant online presence including poker, is set to challenge the bill as it believes it is against European law which permits the free movement of goods and services in the European Union.

The government hopes to have the new law in place by the end of 2014.

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