In an attempt to secure international support for global standards of internet betting regulation, the UK Government hosted the first-ever international remote gambling summit.
The summit saw the representatives of over 30 countries debate minimum standards of regulation of online betting in areas such as the protection of children and the vulnerable, advertising, money laundering and criminal infiltration.
Although the summit ended without an agreement, the UK Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said she noticed an international appetite for agreed standards and she foreboded that the International Association of Gambling Regulators will be at the center of the dialog between nations on global regulation of internet betting.
“The Internet is a global marketplace, and that\’s why we need action at the global level,” she said.
Ms Jowell also reiterated her view that the US ban on internet gambling will force the industry underground, while a regulated industry would offer gamblers a better protection.
The British Sports Minister Richard Caborn said the UK\’s attempt to regulate the online gambling industry was not a bid to “grab” tax revenue. Mr Caborn also warned that Britain would not protect British online gambling executives from extradition requests from countries where they had taken internet bets illegally.
“People have to abide by the laws of particular countries,” he said “We will not acknowledge people who operate illegally.”
The Shadow Culture Secretary Hugo Swire remained sceptical of the UK Government\’s approach.
“With Britons now gambling over £1 billion a year on the internet, I am glad that the Government has at least woken up to the implications,” he said.
“It is time that the UK took a lead in promoting a socially responsible approach to gambling, rather than simply eyeing up a nice windfall for the Treasury. Up until now, the Government has failed to prosecute a single online gaming company for breaking the existing legislation on advertising internet gambling, despite clear breaches of the law,” added Mr Swire.
Ladbrokes welcomed the appreciation for global regulation of online betting.
“The UK government is taking the right approach. Enforcing high standards of regulation in return for licensing and regulation that protects and reassures customers is the only way forward,” a spokesperson for the UK bookmaker said.
“A broader geographic footprint for broader online gaming regulation is a good thing for the industry and, more importantly, for consumers,” commented a spokesman for PartyGaming, one of the world\’s largest online gambling companies.
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