Offshore Gambling Bill

Official Summary

A Bill to amend the Gambling Act 2005 to regulate remote gambling on a point of consumption basis; to require all operators selling into the British market, whether in the United Kingdom or overseas, to hold a Gambling Commission licence to enable them to undertake transactions with British consumers and to advertise in the United Kingdom; to provide that all relevant operators contribute to the Horserace Betting Levy; and for connected purposes

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Overview

The Offshore Gambling Bill aims to tighten regulations on online gambling in the UK by requiring all operators targeting British customers, regardless of their location, to obtain a UK Gambling Commission license. This includes changes to advertising rules and ensuring contributions to the Horseracing Levy.

Description

This bill primarily amends the Gambling Act 2005. Key changes include:

Licensing

It changes the licensing requirements for remote gambling operators. Previously, only operators with equipment in Great Britain were subject to UK licensing. Now, all operators offering services to UK consumers will require a UK Gambling Commission license, regardless of where their servers are located.

Advertising

The bill repeals sections of the Gambling Act 2005 related to advertising foreign gambling and amends others related to advertising gambling via remote communications. This essentially aims to control advertising of gambling services directed at UK customers, wherever the operator is based.

Horseracing Levy

The bill modifies the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 to ensure that all licensed gambling companies offering bets on horse races contribute to the Horserace Betting Levy.

Government Spending

The bill's impact on government spending is not directly specified in the provided text. Increased licensing fees from overseas gambling operators could potentially increase government revenue. However, the costs of enforcing the new regulations also need to be considered.

Groups Affected

Online gambling operators: Both UK-based and overseas operators targeting the UK market will be directly affected. They will face new licensing and advertising restrictions.
UK Gambling Commission: Increased workload related to licensing and regulation of a greater number of operators.
UK consumers: May experience increased consumer protection due to tighter regulation, though the effect is difficult to directly determine based on the bill alone.
The Horseracing industry: Will benefit from increased contributions to the Horserace Betting Levy.
Advertising agencies: Will need to comply with the new advertising regulations.

Full Text

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