by Anton Johan
UK heritage minister, John Penrose announced sweeping reforms to the
country's online gambling industry on Thursday.
The government intends cracking down on offshore betting, meaning that all
bookmakers and gambling operators who service the British market, even those
based offshore, will need to be licensed by the Gambling Commission.
According to Penrose the new laws meant that "anybody based in the world who
wants to sell gambling services to any consumer based in the UK will, in future,
have to have a Gambling Commission license."
Penrose said that that government intends moving as fast as it possibly can
towards a system that would "fix the problem of offshore betting."
"We plan to move to a system which will switch away from the current
organisation which has driven many bookmakers offshore," he said.
The minister was referring to bookmakers such as William Hill and Ladbrokes
who moved offshore to Gibraltar in order to get away from the high taxes and
levies imposed on UK gambling groups.
Level Playing Field
According to Conservative MP, Matthew Hancock, the industry
needed a "level playing field by ensuring all gambling in the UK pays UK tax and
levy."
EGR Magazine reported that a new licensing system would require
a change in legislation, which would only make changes viable no earlier than
2013 or 2014.
One of the most significant changes that these reforms could
bring about would be the end of the White List, as any company, based anywhere
in the world, could theoretically apply for a license through the UK Gambling
Commission.
However, trusted jurisdictions would receive favourable
treatment, something that jurisdictions such as the Isle of Man and Gibraltar
should find encouraging.
No timescale for the proposals, that include changes to taxation
laws, has been determined yet.
