enforcement authorities would have to gain access to homes.

Thus the Board believes that the only way to implement this option would be somehow to prevent access to overseas gambling sites. This in turn does not seem practicable whilst those offering offshore gambling are not in breach of any British law. Hence, a first step would need to be a law, if indeed it could be drafted, making it illegal for offshore gambling sites to accept bets from Britain.

However enforcement would again be a problem. As British courts would have no jurisdiction over the sites themselves where there was no British connection, enforcement could only be through those here who facilitate access to the gambling. The two commonly suggested methods are to require Internet service providers to block sites and banks to refuse to recognize sites for payment purposes. But, based on its discussions with those who have knowledge and experience of such matters, the Board believes that these methods are likely to be unworkable or at best only partially successful.

Blocking gambling sites would be difficult because of their large numbers and flexibility and because many are legitimate and acceptable informational sites. The Internet Service Providers Association has told the Board that, whilst a block can be put on Internet web addresses, it is easy for the operator to move to a new address, often in a way in which it is not even apparent to the customer that they have done so. It is true that there has been some success with the system of blocking access to pornographic sites, particularly involving child pornography, under the scheme operated by the Internet Watch Foundation, but there are important considerations which do not apply to gambling. The scheme relies mainly on reports from those who come across such sites. There is general abhorrence of child pornography and it is illegal in the great majority of countries: hence all parties (individuals, service providers and authorities both at home and abroad) are happy to cooperate to try to eradicate it. Even so, nobody claims the scheme succeeds in eliminating all offending sites. In contrast, Internet gambling operations will generally be legal in the country in which they are sited, will often be run by legitimate commercial organisations and are unlikely to raise the same levels of opposition amongst individuals. Furthermore >>