The Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association has said that the UK gambling bill will effectively establish the UK Gambling Commission as the industry's global regulator, a position the GBGA says is “unlawful”.
The GBGA said the regime will effectively require the Gambling Commission to police the online sector on a worldwide basis. Peter Howitt, chief executive of the GBGA, argues that this new law, combined with planned tax changes, will drive consumers to the unregulated or poorly regulated market, and so ensure that a significant proportion of UK consumers will be unprotected when they play and bet with foreign operators.
"This is bad for UK consumers, bad for the regulated industry, bad for Gibraltar and is in breach of European law but fantastic news for operators who choose to avoid proper regulation.
"We know of no precedent where any regulator in any industry will be granted the role of licensing and regulating operators all over the world in this way, threatening to criminalise companies and people who fail to submit to its regime,” continued Howitt.
The GBGA has written to the UK government and the Gambling Commission, giving notice of a claim for judicial review.
