Government makes bid to hold foreign operators to same standards as British firms.
The British government intends to increase regulation of online gambling and bring foreign operators into line with the standards of their local counterparts, according to a draft bill published this week.
Bringing foreign operators into line
The proposed new amendment will regulate online gambling on a point of consumption basis, irrespective of where the actual operators are based, Sport and Tourism Minister Hugh Robertson said.
Overseas operators applying for a licence will be expected to pay a fee and contribute toward education about responsible gambling. Like their British counterparts, they will be required to report about suspicious betting patterns.
Robertson explained that that the aim of the proposal was to ensure British consumers enjoy consistent standards of protection, regardless of where a gambling business is based, and will also help the fight against illegal activity and corruption in sports betting.
Leader in online gambling regulation
The UK has long been considered a leader in online gambling regulations, with many countries on the continent still formulating their own laws and coming to grips with the rapid growth of online betting and casinos.
This bill is an attempt to reverse some of the mistakes of the last piece of legislation in 2005. That law granted licences to operators only if they were based in UK, enabling those with licenses in tax havens like Gibraltar to advertise to British consumers.
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