The International Gaming and Betting Team at Steptoe & Johnson are pleased to provide you with the highlights of today's Government's response to the Gambling Review Report

London.
March 26th, 2002

    One of the Government's more general responses to the proposals of the Budd Report was that whatever approach is now taken "the law should command the confidence of the public, regardless of whether they win, lose or choose not to play". 

    The Government is clearly broadly in agreement with the majority of the proposals of the Budd Report and to follow are the highlights of the Government's response to the 176 recommendations contained in the Budd Report:
 

• the 24-hour prior registration rule should be abolished as should the membership requirement; 
• the use of credit cards for gambling should be approved; 
• advertising of casinos should not be prohibited; 
• slot machines with unlimited stakes and prizes should be permitted at Casinos; 
• betting shops should be permitted to have jackpot machines; 
• jackpot machines should be removed from private clubs and should be restricted to gambling specific premises; 
• casino slot machines only, should be permitted to be linked, in order to provide bigger prizes; 
• profit sharing on machines should be permitted; 
• casinos should be permitted to offer live entertainment; 
• restrictions on alcohol on the gaming floor should be lifted; 
• there should be no statutory limit on the stakes and prizes in bingo games; 
• betting shops should be able to offer food as well as non-alcoholic drinks; 
• betting on the UK National Lottery should be permitted; 
• all gambling debts should be legally enforceable; 
• the cost of premium-rate competitions should be minimal (i.e. no more than twice the cost of a first class stamp); 
• prize draws that are run purely for commercial profit should be prohibited; 
• on-line gaming should be permitted (subject to various restrictions in relation to the identification of players and the display of terms and conditions); and prizes won by minors should be forfeited and various monitoring devices should be included in on-line gaming sites which allow players to keep up with the time they have spent on-line and the amount of money they have spent. 

    The Government's response appears to re-iterate its commitment to monitoring, tackling and treating problem gambling and the causes of problem gambling by ensuring that further research is carried out and that any legislative or regulatory changes are not so entrenched that review and amendment in order to take account of the findings of such research is impossible or prohibitively time consuming.  The aim is also to ensure that the
regulatory framework can keep up with changes in both technology and British society in order that the next review will not be as long overdue as this one was.
 

    Tony Wollenberg, following his review of the Government's recommendations said: 

"Upon implementation these proposals will see UK PLC at the head of the world gaming pack.  The support for betting on the National Lottery was not expected".
 

Steptoe & Johnson's International Betting and Gaming Practice 

    From the London office of Steptoe & Johnson, Steptoe lawyers advise on betting and gaming law, including casino licensing and regulatory issues. 

    Steptoe & Johnson acts for a number of major US and UK bricks and mortar and online operators. 

    The practice has a fast-growing reputation for its expertise in the betting and gaming arena and it is considered a leader in the relatively new field of internet gaming.

    The team is headed by Tony Wollenberg who has over 20 years experience in advising on betting and gaming issues. Tony is a known as a world leader in his field and he lectures regularly around the world on topical betting and gaming issues.
 

For further information contact:
twollenberg@steptoe.com
0207 367 8000