ISPs Within UK Reject Government’s Attempt To Block Illegal Gambling Sites

A meeting was called recently between the UK Gambling Commission, which is the regulatory body within the United Kingdom, and a variety of Internet Service Providers to discuss the possibility of obstructing unlicensed gambling websites within the country. The broadband providers have made the decision not only to deny this request at this point in time, but also to attempt to ensure this doesn’t happen in the future.

Inserting Splash Pages

As it has been stated by the Financial Times newspaper, the aim of the UK Gambling Commission was to have “splash pages” inserted onto the pages of the unlicensed websites so that customers could be alerted that they were indeed illegal. These pages basically would have put the websites in the same category has harmful pornography, which have splash pages that warn viewers that the images they are about to view, or are currently viewing, are actually illegal.

The Refusal

Not only have the ISPs denied the request made by the commission, but they are also seeking to obtain a court order so that this won’t happen in the future. The ISPs have agreed to impose opt out filters for sites that involve pornography and even self-harm, which will be put in place this year.

Implementing New Licensing and Tax Regulations

It seems that this move has come ahead of the legislation that will impose new tax and licensing regulations on the online gambling industry. These new regulations will begin imposing taxes based on where the player is located, not where the operator is located. While online gambling in Britain is regulated by the Gambling Commission, it doesn’t have any power outside of its jurisdiction, which is why it is now looking to impose these new regulations. Its aim is to gain more control over access to these sites so that it can begin putting pressure on them to close down.

Feedback From The Gambling Commission

The spokespeople for the Gambling Commission have recently stated that the organization isn’t looking for any answers at the moment; they are merely exploring some of their options. Furthermore, the organization doesn’t feel that these illegal sites are going to pose major difficulties within the industry, because there are so many legal sites operating within Britain that players can choose from.

Waiting For a Court Order

One of the reasons many of the ISPs are unwilling to put a block on these sites, as they say, is because they don’t believe it’s up to them to determine what their clients should and shouldn’t be accessing via the internet. Companies such as BT have stated that if a gambling website is going to be blocked, it will need to be done along with a court order.

At this point in time, the government will have to attempt to make use of existing measures to try and cut down on this problem, including illegal advertising.