This is very convenient, as most of the gaming platforms offer favourable conditions, simple and quick registration, as well as a mobile application. It allows residents of our country to bet anywhere at any convenient time. The mobile version of the online casino does not differ from the full-fledged one in terms of functionality and set of available games.
In our country there is a special Commission on gambling. This is a state structure that controls the activities of the entire gambling business of the country. To officially carry out their activities in Britain, representatives of this business must obtain a licence and, accordingly, pay all tax charges. British law imposes a number of strict requirements for land-based and virtual casinos in order to protect citizens from fraudsters. That is why when choosing a casino you should give preference to licensed casinos.
Peculiarities of taxation of independent online casinos
Independent casinos are regulated by a special commission, which was established in 2005 with the entry into force of the Gambling Law. In 2012, the Government of the country determined a tax for gambling establishments in the amount of 15% of the profit received. In 2014, the Law came into force, which obliges to issue a licence to all representatives providing services online. In 2019, the tax was raised from 15% to 21%, which concerned land-based gambling establishments and bookmaker’s offices of our country. For remote offices, the interest rate remains at 15%. According to the requirements of the Commission, the treasury should receive taxes from the profits that are received from the residents of Britain who gamble.
The gambling business brings more than 14 billion GBP to the treasury every year. Online casinos account for about 35% of the total amount.
In order to engage in gambling business, you must first submit documents to a special tax authority. Applications are submitted at least 14 days before the start of the proposed casino activity. Applications are submitted online by filling out a special form.
Each company, which has already registered and received a licence, is obliged to submit reports to the tax authorities every 3 months.
Gambling licensing
A special licensing commission (Gambling Commission) is responsible for issuing and processing the licence. The application can be submitted through the official portal of the UKGC. On the same portal you can find a register of licensed gaming platforms, which will be useful for gambling enthusiasts to do before registering. For information about reliable licensed virtual gaming platforms, one can study the Slotonights review.
Applications are processed within 16 weeks and the whole procedure of obtaining a licence takes at least 4 months. The licence is issued for a period of 5 years.
Expenses and taxation at the initial stage of activity has a number of peculiarities. To calculate the size of the tax rate, you can use a special calculator, which can be found on the official portal of the Gambling Commission.
Features:
- During the first 24 months the casino is entitled to a 25% tax discount;
- When applying for a licence, representatives of the gambling business pay a registration fee. It ranges from 1,000 to 16,000 EUR depending on which licence is requested;
- It is necessary to provide a quality certificate that complies with generally accepted international standards, e.g. eCOGRA;
- A software authorisation is a mandatory requirement.
When opening a gambling establishment, it is necessary to open a bank account. Taxes will be paid through this account, and all online casino revenues will be paid into this account. This will help to determine the amount of tax contributions to the British budget. Each online casino must have an office space, with which a lease agreement is signed. It is provided by the Gambling Commission when applying for a licence.
Analysts say that today the online gambling business is rapidly growing and developing. It grows by an average of 12% annually. The Gambling Commission does not approve the use of cryptocurrency payment transactions, as their use prevents tracking the share of payment transactions that are conducted through cryptocurrency wallets.
Another requirement of the Gambling Commission is mandatory participation in the GAMSTOP programme. It allows players to self-exclude for a period of six to five years. The Commission explains this requirement by the need to protect players from gambling addiction. The number of gambling addicts is growing in our country. According to statistics, gambling addiction is getting younger year by year. In this regard, online casinos are obliged to allow players who have reached the age of majority to play for money. Betting money in independent casinos can be made by persons who have registered and confirmed their personal data. In addition, online casinos undertake to provide the opportunity to set limits on the amount of bets and the amount of time spent in the casino. To determine how prone a person is to developing addiction, you can take a special test. If the results of the test show that the person is prone to addiction, it is recommended to set limits.
If the user deposits a large amount of money, the casino should ask for confirmation of the legality of receiving the funds. British casinos offer users a large number of payment methods – payment and debit cards, e-wallets of virtual payment systems (PayPal, NETELLER, Skrill, EntroPay and ecoPayz, etc.), credit cards, money transfer systems, Google Pay, Pay by Phone. All these methods are absolutely legal and allow you to quickly and reliably make deposits and withdraw your winnings.
All these requirements and high taxes complicate the activity of online casinos in our country. However, their number is growing rapidly from year to year. In 2024, the taxation system in Britain is going to change again.
Casino taxation in 2024
In 2024, all operating independent casinos will be required to pay 1 per cent of their total revenue to the Ministry of Health in addition to the standard tax of 15 per cent. The contributions will go to a special account of a division of the Ministry of Health. All proceeds will be directed to analytics, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation of people with gambling addiction. According to the new British Law, this requirement applies not only to online casinos, but also to land-based gambling establishments. Previously, contributions for the treatment and recovery of people suffering from ludomania were voluntary and considered a donation.
Also under consideration is a law that may come into effect this year. Under its requirements, independent online casinos could raise taxes by a further 1 per cent.
At the same time, the British legislation completely exempts winnings from taxation. This means that regardless of the amount of winnings, the player will pay nothing to the treasury. The entire winnings go entirely to him.
Conclusion
Thus, the legislation of Britain strictly monitors that gambling fans are reliably protected. In addition to the fact that this sphere of activity brings a huge income to the state treasury, its representatives are obliged to guarantee players the protection of personal and payment data. The laws of our country also require to take the maximum possible measures to reduce and prevent the development of gambling addiction, especially among young people of working age.
Despite strict requirements and relatively high taxes, the gambling business in Britain is considered to be the most developed and the most modern. Gaming platforms co-operate with reliable global providers. This allows them to offer the user the most modern novelties from the world of gaming industry.