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According to the Financial Times, once online gambling becomes legal in the UK, online gambling companies that wish to advertise their products in the United Kingdom, but are not based in Europe or Gibraltar, will be required to first register and apply to appropriate UK authorities. Online gambling is scheduled to become legal September 1st. The newspaper quoted Britain’s culture secretary, Tessa Jowell as saying that the ban on websites run by companies that are not properly regulated will help protect online gamblers from crime and exploitation. The announcement about the registration and application requirements for certain online gambling companies came just as the government-appointed Casino Advisory Panel prepared to make its recommendation for the site of the first super-casino in the UK. The culture secretary intends to present a timetable and procedure for the government to respond to the recommendation. This will then be followed by a vote on the recommendation by MPs. All of the recent legislation concerning online gambling and the deregulation of casinos is part of an ongoing effort under the 2005 Gambling Act that updates gambling laws. While the 2005 Gambling Act relaxes advertising rules for UK bookmakers and casino operators, it strengthens the rules for online gaming sites based outside of the European Economic Area and Gibraltar. Online gaming companies in those regions that wish to advertise in the UK must first prove that their licensing and operations protect children, deter crime and promote fair gambling. Ms. Jowell has emphasized that the new legislation and deregulation process must be accompanied by the development of programs for helping problem gamblers as well as measures for protecting minors. She is also pushing online gambling businesses to help fund counseling programs for gambling addicts. The Responsibility in Gambling Trust has reported that voluntary contributions from the industry fall short of the agreed upon amount of £3 million a year. This was the amount ministers believed was needed to support problem gamblers. The insufficient contributions prompted Ms. Jowell to instruct officials to establish procedures that would force companies to contribute a levy to the trust. John Greenway, Conservative MP and chairman of the Trust, said: "The main problem is that we are dependent on people making a voluntary contribution. There is some concern [from online gambling companies] about the costs of implementing the Gambling Act." Posted on: February 9, 2007
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