contribution on any areas of concern over Internet gambling would be welcomed.

Almost all relevant British gambling legislation pre-dates the Internet. Nobody had such a powerful communications system in mind when that legislation was being enacted. Consequently, the existing law impinges on Internet gambling in ways unintended and unforeseen.

The Board's understanding of the legal position in each sector is broadly as follows.

• Betting Bookmakers have for many years been able to accept telephone bets from clients with credit accounts. There is therefore nothing to prevent them accepting such bets by e-mail. Likewise, football pools have always been able to accept entries by post and could therefore also use e-mail. The reason why bookmakers have been looking at offshore locations for their telephone and Internet betting operations is because taxes are lower and not because such operations would be illegal here.

• As for casinos, bingo and effectively gaming machines, such gaming can only take place on licensed and registered premises and, in particular, the persons taking part in the gaming must be on the premises at the time when the gaming takes place. Hence no licence could be obtained by an operator who wished to offer such Internet gaming here and to set up such a site would be illegal. The Board has made it clear that it would seek to take action against anyone who did so.

• The position with lotteries is more complicated. Tickets for lotteries can be sold almost anywhere other than in the street. They can be sold for instance at people's homes including over the telephone. But, and this is crucial, they cannot be sold by means of a machine. The Board's view is that a lottery run entirely by computer via the Internet amounts to selling tickets by means of a machine and it has refused to authorise such lotteries. However, and this is where the complication arises, the Board >>