International regulation of online gambling meet starts

Today (Tuesday) sees the start of a conference that could shape the future of the online gambling industry outside of the United States, as 32 nations gather at Ascot near London to discuss the possibilities of a common international regulatory system.

The organiser and host for the conference, Great Britain's culture secretary Tessa Jowell will lead a debate on the rise of unregulated online casinos, poker rooms and sportsbooks at the meeting, advocating regulation of the industry as intended by the UK, rather than outlawing it.

Last week she criticised the US, which has banned firms from taking internet bets, for creating a "new Prohibition", which could fuel an increase in crime.

The summit at Ascot will focus on the challenges posed by remote gambling, including the protection of children and vulnerable people. The possibility of internationally agreed minimum standards is also on the agenda.

Under UK government plans, a Gambling Commission would vet sites, giving official approval to those with best operational practices.

Operators would not be allowed to target children and would have to keep customers informed about how much money they had spent.

Key staff, such as managing directors and finance managers, would also be the subject of probity checks.

The standards, goals and precautionary regulations proposed appear not too different from those practiced by self-regulatory body eCOGRA over the past few years at some 90 online casinos and 21 poker rooms.