| | |  | Last Updated: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 |  | | | Online Gambling Software Company Requires British Tax Information
- Monday, 13 Nov 2006
Party Gaming, one of the online gambling industry's leading players has contacted the British government warning that online gambling sites operating in the UK will not subject themselves to UK tax law until the government decides how exactly it intends to tax offshore online casino companies.
The online gambling site operator's position is similar or identical to that of Sporting Bet, 888 and other industry leaders. John Shepherd of the online gambling software company said at the international online casino summit at the Ascot racecourse: 'No one in this industry can yet make a judgment call because there is no decision on the tax regime. Secondary licenses are something the industry will look at, but only after the issue of taxation is cleared up.' British Secretary of Culture Tessa Jowell refused opening the topic saying that taxation is a matter for the Treasury. The secretary said that 'The benefit to the economy is less important than our priority of protecting UK citizens,'
The secretary explained her motives for regulation of the online gambling industry in the UK: 'We will welcome them (online gambling operators) here because we believe that by allowing those who want to gamble to do so over the counter, not under the counter, is the best way to protect children and vulnerable people and keep out crime.' Industry leaders have commented in saying that if the British government doesn't create significant tax concessions the new plans for regulation will be rendered useless and forgotten. | |
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