Poker Update – A bill in the United Kingdom that would require offshore gaming companies with UK customers to hold licences and pay taxes has passed its third reading in one of the two houses of parliament.
The UK Gaming (Licensing and Advertising) Bill found favor in the House of Commons earlier this week with no opposition from any political parties.
That means that the bill will now be sent to the UK’s other house of parliament, the House of Lords, where it will face further scrutiny. Should the bill get the OK in that House, as is expected, it will likely be put into law in May of next year.
Culture Minister Helen Grant said she believed the bill would benefit customers in the UK due to more stringent licensing requirements on online gaming companies based offshore.
“The Bill is a prudential measure which will provide greater protection for consumers based in Great Britain,” she said. “It will tighten current legislation to ensure that all remote gambling, whether provided in Britain or overseas, is a licensed activity subject to the Gambling Commission’s standard and controls.”
An aspect of the bill that has gained widespread coverage is the point of consumption tax that would be introduced should the bill be enacted into law. That tax would be put onto offshore online gaming companies who have UK-based customers who use their product within the UK’s borders.
