UK Tries to Tweak Internet Casino Rules to Bring Domestic Bases

Online casino regulations in the UK have led to domestic gaming companies and bookmakers fleeing for domestic bases, so authorities are looking to tweak rules to level the playing field for domestic gambling.

The UK has attempted to comply with EU regulations concerning the online gambling market. But uneven taxation favoring offshore operators over domestic companies has led to gambling companies leaving British shores for sanctuary at Gibralter, Malta, and others.

The UK Gambling Commission is working to rectify the situation, attempting to create an even playing field on which foreign online casinos are taxed equally with UK bookmakers and other gambling operations.

The UK will use its white-listing, a process which approves gambling operators for advertising rights in the UK, as well as adjusted casino taxes, to lure back companies and secure new gambling operators to base from within the country.

A review and recommendations for changes in the current gaming regulations has been received by Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe. Sutcliffe has not released details, but promises the proposals are designed to halt the exportation of gambling companies and treat domestic operators equally with online gaming.

Among issues being considered are the demands of sporting leagues to share in the profits generated by wagering on their product, a growing concern in the EU.