After a thorough investigation of statistics and information from a number of
sources, the UK Gambling Commission revealed the results of its research and
showed some interesting findings.
The Commission said that the remote gambling industry was worth £896
million last year and these figures were growing all the time.
Turnover for 2006/2007 was £84 billion in the gambling industry, and gross
gambling yield showed nearly £10 billion.
One quarter of that sum was generated by Britain's National Lottery.
The remote betting industry, as well as the casino industry, employed nearly
8000 people in the UK.
6.2 million players held active customer accounts.
The information was taken from several sources, including the Department for
Culture, Media and Sport, regulatory returns submitted by licensed gambling
operators in the United Kingdom and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.
The UK Gambling Commission also revealed that it had awarded remote gambling
industry licenses to 28 more groups, bringing the number of licensed operators
to 328 in 2008.
The majority of these groups offered betting exchanges to complement their
general betting brands.
"The majority of gambling sites accessible to British citizens are regulated
overseas," said the Commission in its statement. "In many cases an operator is
licensed by the Commission for remote betting but (for fiscal and other
operational reasons) its remote casino and poker operations are licensed
overseas."
"The main European overseas jurisdictions regulating remote gambling are
Alderney, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man and Man," continued the statement.
