Internet providers reject unlicensed warning proposal
UK ISPs object to Gambling Commission's idea for pop-ups to warn customers of unlicensed sites during recent meeting
The UK Gambling Commission has been told it will need to gain a court order if it is to succeed in implementing plans to force internet service providers (ISPs) to alert customers about unlicensed betting websites via on-screen ‘pop-ups’.
The message came from two of the UK’s biggest ISP providers, BT and TalkTalk, after the pair met with the Commission last week for what the regulator described as “exploratory” talks.
During the meeting, which was first reported by the Financial Times, the Commission proposed that ISPs could insert either a ‘splash’ page or ‘pop-up’ message to warn customers should they attempt to access a site operated by an unlicensed operator.
Although happy to participate in the discussions, both BT and TalkTalk poured cold water on the idea and made clear to the Commission it would first need to go through the courts should it wish to see the plan put into place.
“They were informal discussions and we’re open to discussing matters further with the Gaming Commission,” a BT spokesperson told eGaming Review.
“However, whether it’s a block or a splash page we would need a court order to carry out such action,” he added
With a new remote gambling licensing regime expected to be implemented by the summer, the Commission is aware it will be expected to robustly police those operating illegally.
“We have been exploring the ISPs’ approach when faced with clear evidence that sites are unlicensed and engaged in illegal activities,” a spokesperson for the Gambling Commission said.
“At this stage we are just exploring back up options as we do not expect illegal sites to be a major issue given the attractiveness and width of the legal offer,” he added.
Susan Biddle, leading gaming lawyer and consultant at Pinsent Masons, said the concept of splash pages could be a more subtle way of approaching the ISP issue and “might be viewed by some as a perhaps more commercially-acceptable alternative to blocking such websites”.
The government had previously ruled out the idea of ISP blocking and a spokesperson for the Department for Culture Media and Sport today insisted its stance hadn’t changed and existing measures would be sufficient to deal with illegal operators.
According to TalkTalk, it shouldn’t be up to ISPs “to decide what content customers should access” via the internet and that is important there was “a proper legal framework when it comes to blocking access to sites”.