Gambling Laws in the UK and Regulation

Online Gambling laws in the UK are a lot less complicated than our neighbours across the world. All legislature can be quite complicated and tedious, but these rulings are there to protect and provide a safe gambling experience for all.

The Gambling Commission are the big guys of the online and casino based worlds and oversee many of the simplistic laws that are put in place surrounding gambling. The Gambling Commission is responsible for acting as the middle-man between player and government, more specifically the Department of Sport, Media, and Culture.

In addition to this, there’s the Financial Conduct Authority who make sure that any gambling providers whether casino based or online provide a fair and adequate service in line with the laws of the Gambling act of 2005.

The Gambling Act 2005

The Gambling Commission took over many of the responsibilities of the Gaming Board of Great Britain and in addition the National Lottery Commission and National Lottery.

In accordance with the Gambling Act of 2005, the commission has the powers to pose fines and injunctions on any providers or revoke licenses where they see fit. The 2005 act allows the Gambling Commission to:

  • Prevent the occurrence of gambling become a crime or a disorder, or being associated or ran by/with crime and or disorder.

  • Ensure that gambling is conducted in a way that is both fair and transparent way that values the financial rights of the player.

  • Ensure that children or any other vulnerable people are protected from being harmed or at the mercy of the gambling industry.

It’s important to note that only companies based in the confines of the United Kingdom can be granted a license by the UK Gambling Commission and any other providers would be classed as falling out of this jurisdiction.

Are you affected by UK Gambling Laws?

  • You must be age 18 or over to gamble in the UK

Providing you meet this requirement you have a range of gambling options available to you which range from sports betting on high-street bookmakers to online slots on sites like Wizard Slots, Easy Slots, DreamJackpot, and Slot Boss. The UK provides a whole range of options to meet your gambling needs, compared to other countries where licenses and state legislature proves difficult, gambling is quite an accepted and common vice in British culture.

One of the other standout aspects of Gambling in the UK is the zero taxation on any winnings as the government states that all winnings from gambling are a non-taxable income. Operators are taxed but this does not affect the average customer.

The Changes and The Future

The legislation is always changing in many areas and these changes are not wholly specific to the Gambling Industry. One of the recent changes that may soon be implemented is the Gambling ( Licenses and Advertising) Bill. This bill means that any gambling site or platform wishing to advertise by any means must hold a certificate acknowledged by the UK Gambling Commission. These changes haven’t come without aggravation from larger gambling providers who operate within the Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association. This is the case between many offshore gambling establishments who choose to base themselves out of the UK for financially motivated tax breaks.

It must be noted that the team at Wizard Slots are no experts in the in-depth laws that surround online gaming and the gambling industry within the UK so under no circumstance should our prime supply of wisdom be cited as official legal advice.

Want to learn more about the history of slots?