Albeit Gambling Act, Debate Continues

The long preparatory period since 2005 that resulted in the recently enacted gambling Act in the UK has not settled the debate around Internet gambling. True, gambling online is now legitimate, legal, even protected regulated and providing protection for minors and problem gamblers. But not everything is working out so peachy.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and his predecessor Tony Blair, as well as secretary of the department of Culture, Media and Sport James Purnell, and his predecessor Tessa Jowell have all been criticized for some of their decisions and for the results that followed.

The online daily newspaper The Telegraph is the latest to publish a critical column of the new reality that we have entered regarding gambling online in the UK. The somewhat disagreeing words claim there is nothing new in this post September 1, 2007 age. It adds that there is even some negative effects.

The gambling act allows casino companies to operate from such low tax havens, all European Economic Association, as Malta, thus avoiding a considerably high 15% tax they will have to pay on profits in the UK. Meanwhile, they are fully welcome in the competition and can even advertise their site son television.

Moreover, not only the tax revenue lost and non-protectionist policy, but it has become more frequent and commonplace to receive via email and other targeted media to solicit potential customers. Spamming, by all means, is uncool. Can the Gambling act fight it? Did it bring it on in the first place?

The same can be asked about the criticism it now receives: Has the Gambling Act asked for this? Could it have avoided it in its efforts to organize the industry?