The law relating to the licensing and advertising of gambling operators will change on 1 October 2014, with the coming into force of the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014.
From 1 October 2014, remote gambling operators (being operators who have no gambling equipment situated in Great Britain, but whose services are used by customers in Great Britain) will need to apply to the Gambling Commission to obtain an operating licence. Previously, such operators have not been required to hold a licence in order to offer services and advertise to customers in Great Britain. From 1 October, only licensed gambling operators will be permitted to advertise, or provide consumers with remote gambling facilities.
As a result, carriers of gambling advertising (which may include broadcasters, publishers and sports clubs) will need to ensure that they carry advertising for licensed operators only. In order to enable consumers and carriers of advertising to verify the licensed status of an operator, operators will be required to display a link (on any page that may be used by a customer to access gambling) to a Gambling Commission website showing the licensed status of the operator.
Verifying the licensed status of the gambling operator does not affect the carrier's obligations to also comply with its obligations under CAP and BCAP, the licence conditions and codes of practice of the Gambling Commission, and the Gambling Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
