The new UK online gambling bill is set to come into effect next month on October 1. Although the deadline for compliance was extended to January 2015 to give operators more time for meeting the new regulations, the effects of the new gambling bill are already being felt in online casinos catering to UK players.
Doors Closed to UK Players, For Now
Some major online casinos which catered to UK players have still not received licenses in order to operate under the new bill and until further notice they will not be receiving players from the country. Earlier this month All Slots Casino and All Jackpots Casino have stopped accepting new players from the UK. Casino UK also stopped receiving new players and while all its existing UK players can continue playing, players from other countries will be moved to other casinos belonging to Vegas Partners Lounge.
The list of other affected online casinos has grown and these will no longer operate in the UK: Jackpot City Casino, Gaming Club Casino, Lucky Nugget Casino, Casino Epoca and Spin Palace Casino.
William Hill Casino Licensed
Major online casino William Hill has announced that it received a license under the new UK gambling bill and that as of 1 October 2014, the casino will be licensed by the Gambling Commission in Great Britain.
Situation Could Change
This is not necessarily the last page in the book as these casinos and others could get UK licenses in the future and go back to catering for UK players. One of the main obstacles in the new UK gambling bill is the 15% levy of any profit that was generated by UK players that online casinos are now required to pay. Stay tuned as we will keep following developments in this matter as October nears.