MMO Operators Could Break Laws in the UK?

via Kotaku


Not if they have the appropriate license come September, but with a gambling law getting its final update at that time, MMOs that have competitions or offer prizes may be classified as 'online gambling' and subject to the same laws and penalties as more traditional forms. With all the chatter in the US and elsewhere about where MMOs fit into the overall scheme of online gambling (or not), it will be interesting to see how companies start to navigate the water. In the US, for example, 'games of skill' are - for the most part - exempt from gambling regulations; this is not the case with the new UK law.

"...MMO operators can avoid any potential penalties by obtaining an operators' licence from the Gambling Commission.
"This is not a simple task, but it is also not overtly complex. The key is to satisfy the Commission that you have in place an operation that satisfies the requirements and key objectives of the new law."

These include commitments to ensuring fair and open gambling, the protection of children and other vulnerable persons and the prevention of links between gambling and crime.