Online Casino Groups Ask for Tax Details

A world leading online casino group has recently warned the British government that offshore online casino gaming groups that operate without a license in the UK, will refuse to subject themselves to UK regulation unless the government clarifies how they will be taxed. The online casinos group’s position is very similar to other online gambling giants. This comes on the heels of the international summit at Ascot racecourse where Tessa Jowell, British culture secretary, introduced plans to regulate online casino gaming.

‘No one in this industry can yet make a judgment call because there is no decision on the tax regime. Secondary licenses are something the industry will look at, but only after the issue of taxation is cleared up,’ said a spokesperson for the online casino group. However, Jowell avoids discussing the matter altogether, claiming that it is solely a treasury matter and that the economic benefit is less important than the priority of the UK to protect its citizens is regarding online casino gaming.

Industry commentators have predicted that take-up of the new licenses among online casino operators based in off-shore tax havens would be slim without significant tax concessions. Only time will tell whether or not the UK government will deal with this issue and try to find a solution for these online casino groups. In the meantime, there will be a battle between these two entities, and online casino players will continue to enjoy their time at the online casinos.