Internet Gambling Across the Pond

It sounds like those in the US who are just dying for some gambling action can get their itch scratched at UK gambling sites now. This may, in fact, be in conflict with US laws, but hey.. whats a little Unlawful Gaming Act among old friendly nations?

From Gambling Planet:

Britain's new gambling law comes into force at midnight, legalizing U.K. advertising campaigns for the first time and licensing online casinos that can accept bets from gamblers worldwide including the U.S.

William Hill Plc, Gala Group Ltd., and 13 other companies find out tonight if their virtual casino licenses have been approved to start accepting bets immediately, a spokesman for the Gambling Commission, the U.K.'s new regulator, said today. More than 300 others applied to operate licensed online sites including sports betting under the Gambling Act 2005.

The U.K. law highlights a potential conflict with the U.S.'s Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, adopted in 2006, which prevents credit-card companies from collecting payments for online bets. The legislation has prompted gaming companies to shut down U.S. operations to focus on Europe and Asia.

"We aren't banning people from using Web sites based in the U.K.,'' Julia Smith, a spokeswoman on gambling for the U.K.'s Department for Culture, Media and Sport, said in a telephone interview. "It is up to the consumer what they do.''

It will be interesting to see if this becomes an issue between US and UK leaders, or if in fact the US will now have more pressure to repeal the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act.

September 5, 2007

Internet Gambling Across the Pond