The British government wants to minimize and even restrict access to offshore poker websites and part of their plan is to force internet service providers (ISPs) through the Gambling Commission to add pop-up warnings and labels to sites which are not regulated or licensed within the UK borders.
Most ISPs have refused to follow suit and say they are not willing to become enforcement agents for the government and would only comply if presented with a court order or a primary act of legislation.
UK licensed and regulated online poker companies think the new legislation is basically useless unless offshore competitors can be restricted access from the market. This will likely not happen since the Gambling commission has no influence or control over the internet which in turn is turning the whole situation into a vicious circle or failure.
A Gambling Commission spokesperson said, “We have been exploring the internet service providers’ approach when faced with clear evidence that sites are unlicensed and engaged in illegal activities. At this stage we are just exploring back-up options as we do not expect illegal sites to be a major issue given the attractiveness and width of the legal offer”.