Ladbrokes Pulls Out of Canada and Norway among Other Countries

UK-based bookmaker Ladbrokes has announced that due to recent changes in legislation, its services will no longer be available in Canada, Switzerland, Norway and Hungary, no longer accepting bets or deposits from accounts of players registered in these countries.

The change is active immediately as it set into place at the beginning of October, however the bookmaker made it clear that customers will be able to withdraw funds for a month after the 1st of October. A full list of restricted territories can be found in Ladbrokes' website and it is recommended to check the status of one's territory before signing up or depositing.

New UK Gambling Laws Likely the Cause

For its Canada withdrawal, Ladbrokes attributed the reason to concerns for regulatory clampdown planned by Canadian authorities, but the more likely cause for the move by Ladbrokes is the new UK licensing requirements which were supposed to come into force October 1st, but were delayed until November 1st due to a court challenge from Gibraltar.

The new UK gambling regulations demand of gambling operators to be licensed, regulated and taxed in the UK instead of operating on licenses from international white-listed jurisdictions. This comes with a requirement for a 15% point-of-consumption tax which is one of the main bones of contention over the new laws. Despite attempts by major bookies to appease authorities by creating an industry watchdog and pulling TV ads, it seems that there is no flexibility in the intentions of the UK gambling commission.

Summer of UK-based Operator Retreats

This summer saw other UK-based bookies leaving many markets as well as Canada's including Betfred which also left Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands. Leading UK-based operator William Hill ceased to operate in 55 countries earlier this year in March, although Canada was not included on the list.