NON-EU CHARITY PRIZES ARE NOT OK

21 December 2007

Gambling Commission gives guidance on gambling competitions


The UK Gambling Commission this week gave advice to licensees offering foreign gambling as prizes in competitions, following evidence that a number of UK operators are offering seats at overseas poker tournaments as prizes in UK based competitions.

Using as an example a poker tournament played either online or at a UK Casino which offers the winner the chance to play in a cash prize tournament held outside the UK, a Commission spokesperson said that the offering of such a prize amounts to advertising of non-UK gambling, as defined by section 327 of the Gambling Act 2005.

"Unless the overseas tournament is based in the European Economic Area, Gibraltar, or in white-listed jurisdictions, the advert is likely to amount to the advertising of “foreign gambling”, which constitutes an offence under section 331 of the Gambling Act 2005," the spokesperson said.

Section 331, Foreign Gambling, states that "a person commits an offence if he advertises foreign gambling other than a lottery." Foreign gambling is defined as:

Non-remote gambling which is to take place in a non-European Economic Area state
Remote gambling for which none of the arrangements are subject to the law about gambling of an EEA state (whether by being regulated, exempted, prohibited or otherwise)
Those found guilty of violating this section of the Gambling Act could face up to 51 weeks in jail and a fine.

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