U.K. Online Gambling Reforms Coming

The dominoes are still falling after the 51 page indictment by the U.S. Department of Justice and now the British government is taking notice.

It is Full Tilt Poker again at the center as they have left hundreds of British poker players, just like other online poker players who played there, left without being able to get a hold of their funds. This has prompted Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt to make a major overhaul to the UK online gambling licensing rules.

A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media & Sport said, “This highlights why the government is looking at reforming how overseas-based operators are regulated and we hope to make an announcement in the next few weeks.”

Currently online gambling companies can advertise in the U.K. without having a license by the UK Gambling Commission. The ministers assume that the strength of the regulators overseas is enough to allow this. Full Tilt spent heavily in British media over the years and had become one of the most popular sites for U.K. poker players along with PokerStars.

Recently Full Tilt Poker has had its license revoked by Alderney in the Channel Islands as well as in France.

PokerStars however has re-paid its players and it’s licensor in Isle of Man has stated that PokerStars has not breached any of its rules. Steven Brennan, chief executive of the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission, said:

“The GSC thoroughly checks and vets every director and key official of any online gaming company … It has the authority, and has used it, to turn down any company where it feels the company or the owners could bring the island into disrepute.”

Author: GamesAndCasino