Online gambling in the UK
Online gambling in the UK is now more popular than ever. Gambling is becoming more of a commonplace after the influx of online gaming services; even non-gamblers are coming across free spins offers from casinos that astound them. Day-by-day our lives continue to become more digital-based. Now our lives have begun to mirror the digital lives predicted in dystopian novels.
Luckily, gambling in the UK is regulated by the Gambling Act of 2005. And, this means there are rules which casinos and online gaming websites alike must adhere to. This is implemented in order to protect gamblers in a fair and safe manner. This allows them to enjoy their favourite past time in a safe, secure environment.
Changes in the UK Gambling Industry
Previously, legislation slowed down the process of creating an account and gambling on slot games. The legislation enforced a 24-hour waiting period. Players had to wait this amount of time for their account to be verified and activated.
However, the 2005 Act abolished this. Now, this rule was no longer in place with regards to online gambling. This rule still applies to gambling within casinos.
The Gambling Act of 2005 has also encouraged casinos, who offer online slot games amongst others, to be based in the UK. There are advantages to being in countries which offer significantly lower-paying tax laws. The countries that the commission deems as acceptable places to operate have been 'white-listed'. Companies that are not based in these specific countries cannot operate in the UK. This is because countries with low tax brackets can attract businesses away from the UK. The commission would prefer the businesses to operate within the United Kingdom. This keeps the money players invest in online casinos within the UK. The country can benefit from gambling through the tax system.
How does the UK Gambling Commission affect this sector?
The Gambling Act 2005 was made effective to regulate all British commercial gambling. The Gambling Commission is a public body. It is sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
The Gambling Commission has responsibilities which affect online gambling in the UK. These are the publication of guidance and advice, licensing, compliance, enforcement, and research.
Now, when it comes to online gambling, the Gambling Commission handles all of the operators of remote gambling. This includes online gambling and telephone gambling. Both of these are required to be overseen and licensed by the Commission as a result of the Gambling Act 2005.
This licence is enforced due to all the online services which are provided by the online casinos. This is not solely just because the operator is giving players the chance to gamble online.
The commission monitors all the specific activities happening online with the online. The online gambling casinos still need a license for each service they provide. There is a separate licence required for each activity. This includes betting, bingo, casino games, gambling software and lottery games.
Online casinos based abroad and operate in the UK
If there are many online casinos which are based abroad that operate in the UK. They can freely advertise their products in the UK. However, this is only acceptable if the company is based within a white-listed country. These countries can be found listed in the Gambling Act of 2005.
These countries include EEA countries or the European Economic Area. This includes Malta, Poland, Ireland, Isle of Man and Cyprus. This means that all online casinos operating in the United Kingdom will adhere to the regulations of the Gambling Commission. And, therefore, players are protected when choosing to game online. In the UK, you will not need any form of a license when you are gambling online.
It is important to make sure you are safe and secure. And, know exactly what your rights are when visiting an online casino. It is excellent advice to read the guidelines that have been published on the Gambling Commission website.
In the UK, conditions can be imposed with regards to online gambling. These are enforced in a number of ways.
A general licence condition. This can be given to any individual operating licence or all betting operating licences. The second way is that individual licence conditions being applied to an individual operating licence. This addresses the matters of concern for any individual operator and their activities. Conditions can be imposed by the Secretary of State to a class of operating licence. Statutory conditions can be imposed on all operating licences. All of these conditions have been imposed to safeguard the player while they are gambling.
The UK Gambling Commission Codes of Practice
Section 24 of the Gambling Act 2005 has also issued codes of practice. These pertain to the manner in which gambling facilities are provided to gamers. These are put in place to make sure that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way. Those children and vulnerable people are safeguarded from being exploited by gambling sites. And, that assistance is made available to people who are, or maybe, affected by gambling problems.
All of these licences which have been provided to casinos from the Gambling Commission are required to comply with its codes of practice. These are given to them by the Gambling Commission in order to allow players to gamble fairly.
This serves the British public who gamble online by keeping their money safe and secure. It ensures the casinos operate in a fairway. This also helps the casinos in question. As they will be trusted by customers as their safety is almost guaranteed by the license.
Online gambling has become a major industry in the United Kingdom. It has always had an admiration for gambling in general. Dog and horseracing are cultural institutions in Britain. There are multiple betting franchises which plague the British streets.
But, people in the UK still like to game and gamble online. It is quickly becoming a major part of British culture and heritage, like horseracing. Video games are even becoming more gambling-inclined. With a lot of debate about the legality and moral intentions of micro-transactions in games. Many critics of these gaming mechanics claim these are in fact a form of gambling. This is especially a concern when they can be included in games which are claimed to be suitable for children as young as three. However, they continue to rise in popularity, due to their profitability.
