In a recent interview with eGaming Review, Peter Howitt, Gibraltar’s Gaming and Betting CEO, proclaimed that recent legislation in the United Kingdom regarding online gambling has negatively impacted the country’s industry attractiveness.
“The way the UK has gone about recent changes to regulation and tax has destabilized the confidence in the UK for some operators,” said Howitt. When comparing it to Gibraltar’s market, he added that “many operators aren’t getting that feeling [of confidence] from the UK.”
The legislation in question is the United Kingdom Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill that was passed by the House of Lords in March 2014. It required all online, overseas gambling operators to file for a license with the UK Gambling Commission. All licensed operators would then have to pay a 15% point-of-consumption tax on all profits won from UK customers. These changes caused gambling operators such as SBOBet, Winamax, and Pokerstars.fr to leave the UK market.
The licensing deadline took place this past Nov. 1st, while the point-of-consumption tax began on Dec. 1st. Both deadlines were delayed a month after the Gibraltar Betting and Gambling Association (GBGA) issued a legal challenge against the legislation.
Howitt has tasked industry professionals to get the word out on how this has negatively impacted the online gambling market.
“Clearly the mood around gambling in the UK has worsened, and that means the sector should work harder to get some key messages out and re-establish dialogue with the relevant authorities and politicians in the UK,” he explained.
The GBGA’s earlier challenge claimed the legislation interfered with European Union trade rules. Justice Nicholas Green of the Royal Courts of Justice in London, however, disagreed and dismissed the challenge. The GBGA’s expected re-challenge is set to occur sometime in 2015.
“We, as an association, are certainly going to do more to help influence the agenda and be seen as a responsible stakeholder,” said Howitt.
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