In Search of Intl Gambling Codes

Tessa Jowell, the UK culture secretary, is planning to host a summit in October which would consolidate a new code of practice for gambling companies whose headquarters are in Gibraltar, the Cayman Islands, the Turks and Calicos Islands, Antigua and Costa Rica.

The British government intends to invite the International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organization, as well as governmental representatives from all the main offshore gaming companies' headquarters to discuss the possibility of provisions such as requiring age verification checks.

It is clear that the attempt by Britain to implement such restrictions to the industry will not be easy. It will not be a simple task in convincing the areas where online casinos are headquartered to risk a lucrative source of revenue by imposing much tighter regulations. The culture secretary said that she knows it will not be easy or straightforward to put together an agreement, but hopes that movers and shakers in the online casinos industry understand the importance of such restrictions for their own benefit.

Jowell said that while the Gambling Act plans to implement these types of restrictions within its jurisdiction, millions of people will continue to gamble offshore. Last year's Gambling Act set up a legal framework to be based onshore in the UK from September 2007 allowing licensed UK-based sites to offer several games, such as poker.