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The United Kingdom, long a hotbed for Internet gambling firms, has drafted a gambling bill that would tighten current regulation.
The bill would require overseas operators to inform the Government about suspicious betting patterns.
A 2005 bill enabled companies operating in Gibraltar and the Isle of Man to obtain a gambling license from the UK as well as advertise there.
Sport and tourism minister Hugh Robertson said that law would be amended to regulate online gambling on a “point of consumption” basis, irrespective where operators are based, according to the Financial Times of London.
“These proposals will ensure that 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,” Mr Robertson said.
Clive Efford, the shadow sports minister, said: “It is a step in the right direction, but, we will want to see how it will be policed and how it will be enforced to ensure that people are protected from those operators who will seek to get around the new regulations.”
As things stand, the commission “cannot insist on overseas operators providing us with information about suspicious sports betting transactions”, Mr Graf said.
Overseas operators would be required to obtain a license in the UK in order to take bets from British citizens.
- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com
