Tax Raise on UK Gaming Duty

The UKs Chancellor Gordon Brown has announced heavy increases on gaming tax in this years budget. Many online gambling companies operating from tax havens in Gibraltar, Malta, Alderney and Cyprus, are not expected to return under these conditions.

What the budget means for the UK:

• The 2.5% starting band of gaming duty has been scrapped.
• Remote gambling will not be liable for VAT
• 15% remote gaming duty on companies moving from offshore to the UK
• 50% tax band for casino operators with revenues above £10m

Last year the UK Treasury earned GBP175 million from gambling duties. It has estimated an extra £35 million will be added from these new tax rates.

A spokes person from Aspinalls casino in Mayfair, London, said, 'It's insane. They spend years deregulating the industry and then overtax it, a license fee would have made more sense.'

The Remote Gambling Association said it was disappointed that the UK had effectively priced itself out of the online gambling market and 'missed a real opportunity to lead the way in terms of international regulatory standards.'

However, Chief Executive Clive Hawkswood did acknowledge that it wasn’t all bad news. “The VAT issue was the scary one, but it has been put to bed for now.”

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William Hill Casino Reward Points

Players at William Hill Casino can earn reward points every time time they play online at William Hill, the Rewards Points Scheme credits your account points each time you bet - regardless of whether you win or lose.

You can earn your Reward Points by play in any of the william hill download casinos. A chart summarising the number of Reward Points you will be given for each £10 bet can be found here.

For Example :
If you bet a total of £2,000 while playing a game that rewards 2 points you will earn 400 points.

So have fun playing, and watch your points build up! and when you have accrued 1,500 or more Reward Points, they can be converted into cash. This will take place automatically on the 26th of each month.

If you play at the William Hill Sterling or Dollar download casinos, then you are automatically enrolled in the Members Loyalty Scheme programme, where you earn points with each bet you make - regardless of whether you win or lose.

The chart below summarises the amount of Reward points you will be given for each 10.00 GBP bet:

Roulette 1
Slots 3
Video Slots 3
Casino Stud Poker 1
Craps 1
Red Dog 2
Video Keno 3
Baccarat 1
Blackjack 1
Pai Gow Poker 2
Video Poker 1
Let It Ride Poker 2
Multiplayer Roulette 1
Multiplayer Casino Stud Poker 1
Multiplayer Baccarat 1
Multiplayer Blackjack 1
Multiplayer Let It Ride Poker 2
Casino Solitaire 2
Fruit Machines 3
Casino War 1
Multiplayer Casino War 1
Pontoon 1
Multiplayer Pontoon 1
Millionaires' Club 3
Scratch Cards 3
Bejeweled 3
Texas Holdem Poker 1

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Casino 888 Scoops Top Award

Casino888 scoops top award for the second year in a row, 888.com, one of the industrys oldest and best online casinos, has won the Mind The Bet Top Online Casino Award.

888 won the award for the online casino’s exceptional customer support team, fast response times, conscientious money handling and high-level casino software, which includes more than 40 online slot machine games, as well as Roulette, Baccarat and Craps.

As well as winning the Top Online Casino Award from Mind The Bet, Casino888 was also chosen as the ‘Online Casino of the Year’ for 2006 by more than 10,000 readers of Inside Edge (Inside Poker), Poker Player and Total Gambler magazines, at the UK Gambling Awards 2006.

The Mind The Bet website focuses on gambling industry news and information aimed at UK players, and uniquely uses professional casino auditors to visit and review each online gambling website that they list.

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Online Casinos to Advertise on TV

The UK TV advertising industry is preparing for a welcome a multi million pound boost, as the 2005 Gambling Act comes into force allowing online casinos, Poker and other gambling websites to advertise on UK television stations.

The change in this law is a major step forward for casinos in particular, given the fact that as little as ten years ago, an online casino could not even list there telephone number in a phone directory.

Gambling companies have only been able to sponsor TV programmes without being able to claim traditional commercial slots between programs.


You will now start seeing gaming adverts in prime time TV, but these adverts will be subject to heavy regulation, although the National Lottery, football pools and bingo will be exempt from the ban. The advertising guidelines state that ads must not:

• Portray, condone or encourage gambling behaviour that is socially irresponsible

• Suggest that gambling can solve financial problems

• Link gambling to seduction or sexual conquest

• Suggest that gambling is a ''rite of passage”

• Or “portray gambling in a context of toughness.”

William Hill marketing director a Mr Chris Edginton, said, My view is that yes, we will be able to advertise on television, but what we can do is not what we''d like to be able to do, he also said that sending £100,000 for a space in the middle of Coronation Street would be a huge waste of my marketing budget.

Ladbrokes has already hired M&C Saatchi to develop its campaign ahead of September’s relaxation, although the advertising industry at large has very mixed feelings about whether or not TV advertising is a good thing.

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Turkeys Stance on Online Casinos Attacked

One of the most respected lawyers in EC law has attacked Turkeys hard-line stance on Internet gambling, describing the new draconian measures against operators as “a disproportionate and misguided challenge to the constitutional principles of free trade enshrined in EU law.”

According to the recently proposed “Government Bill regarding Application of Amendments on Certain Laws with Law on Arrangement of Book Making on Football Contests”, all operations of gaming companies, domestic or foreign, without authorisation from the Turkish government, offering gaming services on the Internet, face imprisonment from two to five years together with draconic fines. To promote, facilitate or participate in these activities are also strictly prohibited and criminalised.


Attorney Dr. Ola Wiklund, Attorney at Wistrand Law Firm, Stockholm and an Associate Professor at Stockholm University, is one of the foremost commentators on egaming law.


“The Bill sets up the most authoritarian gaming regime in the Western World. The Bill rests primarily on financial considerations and state purse concerns. The Turkish government wishes to make a pre-emptive strike against private gaming companies who offers considerably more favourable terms for the consumer by way of better odds and higher return rate,” said Dr Wiklund.


“The Turkish State wishes to adopt through the State controlled operators (notably Iddaa) an aggressive and expansive policy with a view to increasing the State’s income from gambling. It is astonishing that this policy also allows the private shareholders of the State controlled undertakings to benefit. This would be wholly unacceptable within the EU.”


“It would be deplorable if it will create an obstacle for the ongoing integration process between Turkey and Europe,” he concluded.

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Gambling Mad UK

A recent paper released from UK Gambling Commission has shed light on the extent of online gambling in the UK. It found that around eight percent of adults have dabbled in at least one form of online gambling in the previous month.

According to this report ‘Survey Data on Remote Gambling Participation’, the National Lottery was the most popular form of remote gambling, with over five percent of respondents admitting to having gambled remotely on the Lottery in the last month.

Online poker came in as the second, with betting third at just under two percent. Remote gambling using a computer, laptop or handheld device was the most popular option at five percent, closely followed by gambling via mobile phone and interactive/digital TV. The survey also discovered that people in the 18 to 34 age group were the most likely to gamble.

Chairman Mr Peter Dean from the Gambling Commission said, “This new series is an important part of the Commission’s monitoring. The figures reflect the uptake of new technology with people choosing to gamble via the internet as well as through mobile phones and interactive television.”

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Harrods Casino Off-Line

The online casino division of the world famous department store in London, has closed its virtual casino doors today, citing regulatory uncertainty in online gambling.

The Harrods casino was operated by Kismet International, and its CEO, Manu Gambhir had this to say: “Harrods Casino performed well and became known as the preferred casino for many VIP players. While we are disappointed to see Harrods exit the online casino business, we respect its decision which was made in light of the uncertain regulatory environment in the online gaming industry. Kismet will continue to operate Red lounge casino, and wh plan to launch additional casinos.”


Harrods casino had a short but sweet life in the industry, attracting many high rollers and VIP players looking for a slice of London’s most upmarket lifestyles.

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888 under french investigation

Ex-chief executive of Casino 888 a Mr John Anderson is to be questioned by French authorities, Mr Anderson ended his role as chief executive of 888 at the end of last year, but still remains a non-executive director of the company.

888’s shares have dipped by more than 4 percent as news spread throughout the gambling industry. 888 is said to be puzzled as to the reasons why the company has been targeted for questioning, adding that revenue and income from France makes up a small percentage of there business.

888’s former sponsorship of the Toulouse football club, according to the Guardian newspaper, may shed some light on France’s interest in the company. Two executives from the Internet betting firm Bwin Interactive were held by French authorities last year as they unveiled a shirt sponsorship deal with AS Monaco.

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