The UK government will today lay down new powers in Parliament under the Gambling Act 2005, to ban gambling adverts from companies operating outside of the European Economic Area (EEA). The move is set to exclude up to 1,000 online gaming websites which will include some of the industry’s most recognisable brands, when the Act comes into force on September 1. Independent research has suggested that approximately 2,300 gambling websites are in operation worldwide, with Antigua considered to have the largest number with around 537, followed by Costa Rica (474), Kahnawake (Canadian Reservation) (401) and the Netherlands Antilles (343). For jurisdictions who fall outside of the EEA, the route to exemption from the ad ban involved a rigorous assessment of their regulatory standards, with sites such as William Hill Casino, Betfred Casino and Poker, Interpoker.com and Littlewoodscasino.com are all currently based in non-white listed jurisdictions. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, James Purnell, has already rejected applications from Alexander (Canadian Reservation), Netherlands Antilles and Tasmania, with applications from Kahnawake and Antigua still being considered. Operators in online gambling regions such as Costa Rica and Belize who have not applied to be white listed will automatically be banned from advertising in the UK from September 1. Only Alderney and the Isle of Man were able to demonstrate adequate provisions for the protection of children, vulnerable people, and those for keeping games fair and the prevention of crime. http://www.onlinecasinonews.com/ocnv2_1/article/article.asp?id=14343 Two things I don't understand: 1. Why did the UK do this? 2. Wasn't one of the reasons the UIGEA was implemented was that "children couldn't be protected right? So how come the UK feels the Isle of Man (i.e., Neteller) lives us to the standard?
The Isle Of Man, Guernsey and Jersey are all parts of the UK and under UK Law, this is a ban on advertising only,
A question of spin No they aren't. That's the whole point. If they were part of the UK (or even just members of the European Economic Area, like Gibraltar is) then there would be no need for them to demonstrate anything to anyone in order for online casino operators based there to advertise in the UK. They are crown dependencies. As the article you quoted makes clear, it's advertising that is being regulated. We can still play where we like. Moreover, there seems to be some government spin to make this sound like a crackdown of sorts, when it is in fact a liberalisation. I'm unsure of the details, but I believe casino advertising (both online and bricks-and-mortar) has always been strictly controlled (possibly banned on TV and radio). The change that is taking place is that these restrictions are being lifted, but online operators have to be based in a country whose framework of regulations is considered strict enough. So here is the same news, reported elsewhere, with a completely different spin - Minister gives gambling websites free rein to advertise in Britain
oops oops sorry aboout that Colin is correct, always assumed as part of British Isles was part of UK, Below clears up difference, Great Britain is the term used for the island containing the contiguous nations¹ of England, Scotland and Wales. Great Britain is used to distinguish Britain from Brittania Minor, or Brittany, in France. The term "Great Britain" was officially used only after King James I (who was also James VI of Scotland) acceded to the throne of England and Wales in 1603, styling himself King of Great Britain, although legislative union between Scotland and England did not take place until 1707. England, Scotland and Wales together with the province of Northern Ireland, form the country officially known as "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" or simply the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom came into being in 1801 following the Irish Union, although the greater part of Ireland gained independence in 1921 to form the Irish Republic (or Eire). The majority of the people in Northern Ireland have wished to remain part of the U.K., although a minority wish unification with the Irish Republic. The term "England" is sometimes erroneously used by both natives of England (the English) and those outside our country to refer to the United Kingdom. Natives of the other constituent nations of the U.K. find such usage offensive, so it is best avoided! Although there is no adjective for the "United Kingdom" the term "British" is acceptable, although has to be used with care and sensitivity in Northern Ireland, where one section of the community would be happy being so-described, whereas the other would most definitely regard themselves as "Irish". The United Kingdom does not include the Isle of Man (which lies between Great Britain and the island of Ireland) and the Channel Islands (which lie off the North coast of France). These are direct dependencies of the British Crown, maintaining their own legislative, monetary and taxation systems. Each have their own parliaments and a Governor, appointed by the Crown. The British Isles is used more loosely to describe the main island of Great Britain together with its associated islands (including the Isle of Man). It has no legal significance. The Channel Islands, which include the independent States of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark, are the only remaining components of the "Duchy of Normandy" which still belong to the British Crown. The United Kingdom (including the Channel Islands, but without the Isle of Man) is a member of the European Union. The Isle of Man maintains free-trade agreements with the EU, but is not a member.
Thanks for the history lesson. I'm gonna ask another dumb American question(s) 1. What currency does the Isle of Man use? Pound or its own? 2. Is the euro accepted for commerce in Great Britian or do you have to convert to Sterling? 3. Do you need a passport to travel from the Isle of Man to the Mainland (Great Britain?)
Freds answers Fred in the spirit of getting to posting no 1 i will answer your 3 questions in seperate posts below
According to Wikipedia, the Channel Islands are not members of the EU. And, just as with the Isle of Man, if they were members they would also be in the EEA and Alderney would not have needed to 'demonstrate adequate provisions for the protection of children...', which tends to suggest Wikipedia is correct. 1. Pound, although they have their own banknotes and coins. (Same for Channel Islands). 2. Some shops will accept Euros, to make things easier for tourists, but there is no requirement that they should. 3. I don't think you need a passport, but I've never actually been. I probably would take mine, just to be on the safe side.
in reality And here is what a reporter found when testing retail establishments with the very question would they take euro's UPDATED: Euro accepted by UK retailers On the BBC TV news this morning, a journalist bought a CD from HMV, Oxford Street, London. She bought it with Euro notes. The HMV till coped with the Euro transaction. Ah, but how will a small independent retailer cope, asked the presenter... Admirably. A camera and hi-fi shop sold a pack of videotapes to the BBC journalist with the minimum of fuss. This independent shop didn't have a Euro-compliant EPoS system but the sales assistant just converted the pound price into Euros and worked the transation into the till manually. Perhaps bike shops aren't going to be inundated with overseas shoppers able to pay in Euros only but those in tourist areas will certainly have to have a policy on whether or not to accept Euros. For those who quite like cash, bugger the political undercurrents, there's a window sticker you can get which lets shoppers know you're Euro-friendly. Love it or loathe it, the Euro is now a reality. In effect, yesterday's introduction of the new currency in 12 nations was the greatest financial upheaval in European history. In 1970, Pierre Werner, the then prime minister of Luxembourg, outlined the first proposals for a Euro-wide "economic and monetary union". Thirty-two years later, Werner got his way. Only the UK, Denmark and Sweden are sticking to their guns and, for now, keeping their currencies. However, as the Euro gains in popularity (it's unlikely to nosedive long-term, although there will be start-up glitches and horror stories) there will be increasing pressure for a UK referendum on ditching the pound and jumping into bed with our European neighbours. The Euro will probably see off the pound by stealth. Europe minister Peter Hain went on record at the weekend saying all UK retailers should accept Euros. And with 302 million inhabitants of the Eurozone now with Euros in their pockets, and who'll want to spend them wherever they go, it's going to hard for UK retailers, IBDs included, to ignore the Euro. Suppliers, too, ignore the Euro at their peril. The combination of the internet and the Euro is now making it easy for consumers to compare prices across Europe. No more fiddling with multiple exhange rates: now it's just the pound/dollar price versus the Euro price. One supplier which is displaying the Euro price alongside pounds sterling is the Goude Design Group. Simon Goude said: "We have started to dual price in Euros. Only this morning we had an IBD customer from Guernsey asking us for Euro prices because he gets a lot of customers from France. His customers are paying in Euros so he wants the option of being supplied with Euro-priced products."
Incidentally Like Mace says some people will accept the Euro in the UK. I have noticed that a few English bookmakers advertise this option at the racecourses. The Manx island is a tax haven for many businesses and even though Global Player Casino is based in Antigua, their headquarters are in the Isle of Man. Andy
What a difference that here in the states. Hey Andy when you come don't EVEN bother trying to spend any sterling here! Heck I tried to give a cashier a Canadian penny (honest mistake) and they acted like I was a terrorist! So why does Global Player have their headquarters at the Isle of Man when they're based in Antigua? Will that make them exempt to the advertising ban?
Looking Good Fred, Don’t worry I will be changing my sterling over to your money before I arrive in Seattle. Given the exchange rate between the pound and dollar I am quid’s in already. Remind me to buy you a drink in the Iron Horse Casino from my profit. Andy
I remember a story from when the Euro was first introduced Supposedly, a youngster who for some reason was fascinated by the whole idea, bought some Euro notes from the Bureau de Change and took them to a major store that had been advertising that they would accept Euros, just to see if they really would. (I think it was one of the major music chains.) Evidently the electonic cash registers had not been configured correctly and he was given more in change than his purchase actually cost! He even tried to be honest with them and point out the error, but they would not listen to him. So he went on a spending spree! One for the 'Is this cheating?' thread.
