Great Britain Gambling Commission

The Gaming Control Act of 2005 created the Gambling Commission of Great Britain. This act of Parliament specifically established the framework for regulation of Internet gambling for the first time.

The Commission will regulate all gambling in Great Britain except spread betting and the National Lottery. The Act has the stated objectives of:
"(a) preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder...
(b) ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way...
(c) protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed..."

While the United States languishes under of philosophy of delusional nannyism, the United Kingdom has moved to address issues concerning online gambling. "Remote gambling" refers to gambling where participants are not face to face on the same premises, but rather by means of "remote communication". The Act further makes it clear that any future technological developments will be covered.

The card game of poker is defined as involving chance and skill and is therefore classed as "gaming" and then as "equal chance gaming" which distinguishes it from casinos games and other forms of gambling like lotteries.

The Gambling Commission is already operating, both under its own mandate and under gambling laws already in place. The Commission's new responsibilities will be added in stages, with full implementation of the Gaming Control Act not taking place until September 2007, so specific details of oversight and tax rates are not yet available, and of course no online poker operators can yet be licensed by the Gambling Commission.

The Gambling Commission is independent but operates under the scope of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Its funding comes mainly from license fees from the gambling industry.

There is no way to know for sure what the impact of the establishment of the Gambling Commission will be in Britain, but it represents a clear attempt by a first world nation to take responsibility for regulating Internet gaming, for the benefit of players and presumably investors too.