• Subscribe
  • Magazines
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
Friday 9 May 2025
  • zh-hant 中文
  • ja 日本語
  • en English
IAG
Advertisement
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
No Result
View All Result
IAG
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
No Result
View All Result
IAG
No Result
View All Result

Britain Gets Tough on Web Gambling

Newsdesk by Newsdesk
Fri 21 Mar 2014 at 01:34
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

The UK is intent on recovering revenue from online gambling operators marketing to British players from tax havens in Gibraltar, Malta and the Caribbean with a 15% point-of-consumption tax that is expected to come into force in December. This month, a key piece required to make the plan stick fell into place with Parliament’s approval of a bill making British licensing mandatory for all remote operators.

The Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill has passed in the House of Lords and is headed to the queen for her signature to become law. The measure has already been approved by the House of Commons.

An amendment added to the bill in the Lords also will require online operators to pay the existing levy charged to all bookmakers in the country who offer bets on racing.

Under current regulations embodied in the 2005 Gambling Act, remote operators that locate their servers overseas do not need a license from the UK Gambling Commission, whereas home-based operators are required to have one. The act was passed in the aftermath of an exodus of major operators to tax havens such as Gibraltar and Caribbean islands like Antigua where effective tax rates can be zero.

The commission had sought more enforcement power on the licensing issue by blocking financial transactions between Britons and unlicensed sites, but the Lords rejected the request. Several major credit card banks have since said they would comply voluntarily.

Joining the new licensing bill are tax changes aimed at cracking down on the proliferation of electronic table games in betting shops and bolstering the country’s flagging bingo industry.

The office of Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced an increase from 20% to 25% in the duty on the controversial casino-style e-tables. Known as fixed odds betting terminals, the games have emerged in recent years as the biggest source of bookmakers’ earnings, and their popularity has sparked an explosion in the numbers of high street betting shops. The machines took in more than £11 billion in bets last year, according to news reports, generating £422 million for operators, or more than half their revenues. Critics consider them a leading cause of problem gambling and other social ills, and local governments have asked Parliament for stronger zoning powers to deny applications for new shop licenses. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, which oversees the industry, is considering mandatory limits on bet sizes and other restrictions.

Bingo, meanwhile, will benefit from the halving of its tax obligation from 20% to 10%.

The Bingo Association, a trade group representing the sector, blamed the old tax for hundreds of closures and the loss of thousands of jobs in recent years.

The cut brings the tax on bingo below the 12% imposed on National Lottery tickets and the 15% for bookmakers.

“Everyone is absolutely delighted,” the association’s chief executive, Miles Baron, said.

Ian Burke, chief executive of Rank Group, a leading operator with 97 Mecca-branded bingo halls, said the reduction has “created a basis for renewed investment and innovation”.

 

RelatedPosts

CLSA: Thailand gaming market could generate annual GGR of US$15 billion

Thai government set to start discussions on legalizing online gambling

Tue 7 Jan 2025 at 11:36
Malaysia to implement 30-day visa-free policy for visitors from China and India

Malaysia looking to increase powers to crack down on online gambling

Thu 5 Dec 2024 at 04:50
New Zealand to stay closed to foreign travellers until 30 April 2022

New Zealand’s new Online Gambling Bill will see up to 15 licenses offered

Thu 14 Nov 2024 at 07:05
South Korea drops quarantine requirement for unvaccinated arrivals

Data shows tripling of illegal online gambling cases in South Korea since COVID

Mon 21 Oct 2024 at 05:24
Load More
Tags: FOBTsonline gamblingUKUK Gambling Commission
ShareShare
Newsdesk

Newsdesk

Current Issue

Editorial – Knife’s edge

Editorial – Knife’s edge

by Andrew W Scott and Ben Blaschke
Tue 29 Apr 2025 at 15:14

Thailand’s Entertainment Complex journey is at a critical point, with the success or failure of the initiative to be determined...

The changing face of Macau

The changing face of Macau

by Ben Blaschke
Tue 29 Apr 2025 at 15:09

Inside Asian Gaming takes a deep dive into the new, post-COVID Macau where a revenue environment that seems to be...

Born again

Born again

by Pierce Chan
Tue 29 Apr 2025 at 14:47

Premiering in September 2010 at City of Dreams, The House of Dancing Water was a visionary creation by artistic maestro...

Richard Howarth – Testing the limits

Richard Howarth – Testing the limits

by Ben Blaschke
Tue 29 Apr 2025 at 13:17

Richard Howarth, Chief Business Officer APAC for global testing laboratory GLI, discusses his career journey and his passion for fast-paced...

Evolution Asia
Aristocrat
GLI
Mindslot
Solaire
Hann
Tecnet
Nustar
Jumbo

Related Posts

Galaxy Macau to host 2025 Annual Conference of the FIA – world motorsport’s governing body

Favorable VIP hold pushes Galaxy Entertainment Group’s 1Q25 profit to US$412 million

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 8 May 2025 at 14:03

Macau’s Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) reported total net revenue of HK$11.2 billion in the first three months of 2025, including gross gaming revenue of HK$10.9 billion (US$1.36 billion) – up 13.6% year-on-year although slightly lower than the HK$11.0 billion (US$1.38...

Solutions Showcase: Angel – Tech Minded

Baccarat side bets now contribute close to 50% of Macau baccarat revenues

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 8 May 2025 at 13:32

Baccarat side bets now contribute between 45% and 50% of Macau’s gaming revenues, representing a generational shift in player preferences thanks to the deployment of smart gaming table technology. Stakeholders told IAG that such side bets previously comprised only a...

House of Dancing Water returns to City of Dreams Macau with spectacular premiere

House of Dancing Water returns to City of Dreams Macau with spectacular premiere

by Pierce Chan
Thu 8 May 2025 at 11:11

After a five-year hiatus, City of Dreams’ epic production House of Dancing Water held its premiere on Wednesday 7 May ahead of an official opening to the public on Friday. The newly reimagined resident show is produced by Giuliano Peparini,...

Grand Korea Leisure extends casino closures until 15 February

Grand Korea Leisure’s casino revenues up to US$26 million in April

by Newsdesk
Thu 8 May 2025 at 07:03

Foreigner-only casino operator Grand Korea Leisure reported casino revenue of KRW36.2 billion (US$25.9 million) in April, up 11.5% year-on-year but down 12.7% compared with March. GKL’s casino revenue comprised an 11.7 % year-on-year increase in table revenue to KRW32.9 billion...



IAG

© 2005-2024
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • NEWSFEED
  • MAG ARTICLES
  • VIDEO
  • OPINION
  • TAGS
  • REGIONAL
  • EVENTS
  • CONSULTING
  • CONTRIBUTORS
  • MAGAZINES
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • ADVERTISE

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • Magazines
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • About
  • Home for G2E Asia

© 2005-2024
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • English