The UK Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill 2013-2014 has passed safely through the House of Lords Committee Stage without a single amendment being approved by those holding the gavel.
If you wanted to teach a Martian the meaning behind the saying, “making a mountain out of a molehill” then just take him through the laborious process of the UK Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill 2013-2014.
The most significant legislative change to hit the UK gambling industry since the passing of the Gambling Act 2005; has to go through a series of checks and cross checks in the House of Commons that extends to three separate readings, a committee stage and a report stage.
Then after the House of Commons know each word inside and out it is passed to the House of Lords to go through the same process. Phew…that was hard work…hold on…what…there’s more?
After the House of Commons, and House of Lords, have all studied the back end off it, it is then passed for Consideration of Amendments before finally reaching Royal Assent, at which time it is finally passed into law.
God forbid if they find a spelling mistake at Royal Assent.
So where are we now?
On Tuesday, of this week, the bill successfully meandered through the House of Lords Committee Stage. The bill was read line-by-line and the 20 amendments put forth by various members of the UK’s political network were duly batted away, one-by-one, by Lords who seemed determined to protect the bills wickets come what may.
Amongst the amendments that were withdrawn from the limelight include the, ‘power to extend the horserace betting levy to overseas bookmakers,’ tabled by Viscount Falkland; ‘consultation on and implementation of self-exclusion for remote gambling,’ by Lord Browne of Belmont and, ‘credit and financial institutions must not accept payments to and from unlicensed remote gambling organizations,’ by Baroness Howe of Idlicote.
For those of you living underneath a stone – or permanently stoned – a reminder that the UK Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill, if passed, will mean that all online gambling companies in the UK market, irrespective of the location of their HQ, will have to hold a UK Gambling Commission license.
In addition, there will be a new point of consumption tax, aimed at scooping 15% off the operator’s profits, and a responsibility for the companies outside the UK to inform the UK Gambling Commission of any suspicious behavior that involves UK customers.
The first reading of the bill took place in the House of Commons on May, 9 2013 and there are just three more stages for the bill to wade through before reaching Royal Assent.
Do not fret though. Those in the know believe the bill is still on track to be passed into law by the end of the year.
I bet the likes of Ladbrokes, William Hill and Paddy Power cannot wait.
