UK online gambling tax bill reaches House of Lords

If approved, the legislation would require all online gaming companies in the UK market, regardless of where they are based, to hold a UK Gambling Commission licence. The current system only requires UK-based companies to hold a licence, while those located outside of the UK are regulated by the jurisdiction in the country that they are based.

The new reforms would demand that all online gambling firms operating in the UK pay a point of consumption tax, an amount that currently stands at 15% of gross gaming revenue.

The new proposals would also require companies based outside of the UK to inform the UK Gambling Commission of any suspicious betting behaviour that involves UK customers.

The bill first came to light when it was granted a first reading in the House of Commons on May 9, 2013. The new bill was granted a second reading on November 5 and as later the subject of two debates in the House of Commons on November 12 and 19.

After its third reading in the Commons on November 26, it was passed on to the House of Lords a day later for a first reading. The House of Lords then took a second reading on December 17 before deciding to push the bill forward to the committee stage.