GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 2 - October 2007

22 Britain introduced sweeping new laws last month that will overhaul the country’s gaming industry for the 21st century, regulating everything from online gambling Web sites to television advertising. The Gambling Act of 2005, which went into effect Sept. 1, replaces nearly every gaming law on the books, some dating back to 1845. The law affects most forms of gambling, including online casinos, land-based casinos, bingo parlors, bookmakers and pub slot machines. They will be regulated by the new Gambling Commission, which bills itself as one of the most powerful gambling regulators in the world. But it will be on television – not casinos – where players notice the biggest change. For the first time, gambling operators will be permitted to advertise over the airwaves. Casinos began airing TV commercials hours after the Act came into force. Among the first was Aspers Casino at the Gate in Newcastle, northeast England. Others immediately announced plans to air ads soon, including bookmakers Ladbrokes, Coral and PartyGaming.com. “We haven’t done our own television ads yet, but very likely we will,” says Ann Aslett, spokeswoman for the Walthamstow Stadium dog track in London. Gambling operators won’t have free rein on the airwaves. The industry is subject to strict codes that ban commercials that target people under 18, feature players who appear to be under 25 or encourage irresponsible gambling. The gaming industry has also voluntarily agreed not to show ads before 9 p.m. except during sporting events, to display the address for gambleaware.co.uk — a Web site offering advice on problem gambling — and to ban advertising on children’s replica sports team jerseys. And the Gambling Commission has the power to punish operators who break the rules. “At the end of the day, failure to comply with the rules exposes a licensed operator to a range of sanctions including fines, prosecution and where serious or recurring breaches occur, the removal of their operating license,” says a Gambling Commission spokesperson, who declined to be named per British practice. While opening the airwaves to adverts, the U.K. simultaneously banned ads from online gambling sites based outside the European Economic Area (EEA). That prompted several major brands, like William Hill and BetFred, to move their operations. William Hill announced in August it was relocating from the Dutch Antilles to Gibraltar and Malta. BetFred moved to Gibraltar and Intertops moved to Malta. “I make no apology for banning adverts for Web sites from places that don’t meet our strict standards,” Culture Secretary James Purnell said in a statement. Jurisdictions outside the EEA can join the British government’s “white list” of places exempted from the ad ban if they can meet the U.K.’s strict gambling regulatory standards. So far, only the Isle of Man and Alderney have passed. The government is still considering applications from the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory and Antigua, home to the largest number of gambling Web sites with 537 licensees. U.K. enters new ad age for gambling By Cesar G. Soriano GPWA TIMES | U.K. enters new ad age for gambling