New UK regulation could be in force by April
Gambling Commission expects new bill requiring UK licenses for operators to become law before end of this year
The new regulated UK online gambling framework could come into force as soon as April 2014, according to the latest report from the country’s Gambling Commission.
The report states the current bill before Parliament, the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill, could become law before the end of this year “if all goes well”, with new regulatory measures implemented by April of the following year.
The bill, which would require all operators targeting the UK market to be licensed and regulated in the UK, was introduced in the Queen’s Speech in May year, receiving its first hearing in the same week. However a date for the bill’s second hearing in the House of Commons is yet to be announced.
As part of its preparation for a regulated UK market, the commission is working with its counterparts in other jurisdictions in an effort to “develop areas for practical collaboration” and “exchange best practice”.
“Our aim is to minimise any additional regulatory burden for those operators that can demonstrate they meet British standards,” the commission said in its annual report and accounts, the release of which accompanied that of the review.
The Gambling Commission was represented for the first time last week at an informal meeting of European regulators, alongside those from France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain, where topics discussed included the potential pooling of poker liquidity. There have previously been discussions on the topic at the Gaming Regulators European Forum (GREF) eGambling Working Group, which is chaired by Gambling Commission CEO Jenny Williams.
The commission also reiterated its stance on social gaming, admitting it is “concerned” about games which “look and play like regulated gambling products”. This is consistent with a review launched earlier in the year in an effort to determine whether the growth of the sector “posed risks to the public”.
However it explained it only believes social gaming should only be regulated “If we consider there are risks that could not be addressed by responsible self-regulation by operators [or the] targeted use of existing consumer protection powers”.