Internet Gambling Report in Various Jurisdictions

• Fully endorses legislation to permit regulated, and taxed, Internet Gambling in Great Britain.

• The Board is best to go with the option of regulation.

• Regulation offers the virtual guarantee that the games will be honest.

• Keeping the status quo is impossible because:

  1. the Internet is not going to go away
  2. online gambling is not a passing fad
  3. The Gaming Board must be seen to protect UK gamblers from unregulated operators
  4. It is unfair on the regulated British Gaming Industry
     
     

• Banning online gambling is virtually impossible. The Gaming Board must consider:
  
  

  1. Getting complex gaming and Internet legislation through Parliament
  2. Understanding how gaming sites will physically be stopped from having contact with UK citizens
  3. Will people be prosecuted for attempting to play foreign sites? Who will police that?
     
     

• Strict regulated online gambling offers both responsible gambling for customers as well as new revenues for both the gaming industry and the government.

• Retaining the status quo will lead to increasing difficulties.

• Prevention would be impossible to achieve, though we need safeguards people must be able to make an informed choice for themselves.

• We should move to legislate to permit, regulate and tax Internet gambling.

• All gaming sites must operate responsibly, messages about excessive play etc. Problem gambling will increase and must be catered for.

• If allowed, British sites will need to be more attractive than others.

• Internet sites also offer entry to terrestrial gambling, which also needs tight regulation maintained.

• Some clients would welcome a regulatory regime.