The Radiance of Knowing

In some poker online legalization news, I recently read that the British government is proposing a new licensing regime for offshore bookies, according to a report in The Guardian newspaper.

The racing industry has long expresssed concern about the financial effect on racing of companies moving offshore and with recent match fixing, betting pattern scandals the government appears to be responding, The Guardian reported.

At issue is how to get offshore bookies to provide information on suspicious betting patterns and also how to have them contribute towards the cost of regulation, the Guardian report said.

As soon as companies move offshore they no longer pay the statutory racing levy. Under a new system they’d have to be licensed in the UK, the report explained.

Even though this mostly pertains to online betting on horse racing, the similarities to online poker are very similar. Many online poker sites are based in offshore locations, so as not to fall under the jurisdictions and laws of individual countries. I have long argued that instead of trying to prosecute these companies, governments should just regulate them and make it legal for its citizens to play online gaming. The battle is making people understand that poker is a game of skill and not a game of luck.