Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

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Chair of the Treasury Committee, Dame Meg Hillier, has issued a statement following the announcement by the Treasury that they are raising taxes on online gambling while protecting face-to-face gambling.

Citing the higher level of harm, the Chancellor announced an increase in remote gaming duty from 21% to 40%. 

It comes after the Committee published a report urging the Treasury to tax online betting games at a rate which reflects the growth of harmful and addictive betting practices.


Reflects the growth?  What does that even mean?

Also, how will rasing the taxes benefit gambling addicts?

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The problem is, these decisions are made by people who have absolutely no idea what they are talking about.

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The world has gone crazy. I'm glad I was born in the past.

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When I was a lad they used to put fanny mags on the top shelves to keep them away from kids.
It didn't work.

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They claim that they want online gaming (which unfortunately includes poker) to be a less viable product, thus discouraging investment and promotion. They would rather that investment went to B&M gaming which is less damaging (in their opinion) and employs more ppls.

re social media I just think that like smoking, we should be raising generations who simply don't use it.

The phrase "if you're not the customer, you must be the product" has never been more apt in the last ten years or so. These companies do not care in the least about what is said on their platforms, only that it raises money through adverts.

imo the structure of social media should be first personal contacts (everything you post only goes to these contacts and similarly you see only what they post), then you can subscribe to publishers, (who are all identified and have an address and are liable for what they post and can face sanctions). The hope is with that structure hate and disinformation is slowed to the extent that it can be countered.  But that is never going to happen.

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Some good points re the social media there David. You're not ^ a pretty face.

[tikay]

Think it's a great idea and should be replicated worldwide. And in two years time the age should be increased to 18, then 20 etc

I came by to see if anyone had noticed that Rachel Reeves has struck a cool 40% rakeback deal on all the online poker played in the UK.  I can't imagine that offering games to UK folk will be very profitable. That tikay scampered just in time.

The Social Media ban on youngsters in Australia? WONDERFUL idea in theory, although, sadly, unenforceable irl. The damage done by unrestricted access to social media to the lives of youngsters is incalculable imo, & anything that even attempts to to curb it gets my vote.  (Blame the parents, obv). Even as an oldie, my life improved no end when I quit Facebook 15 years ago & then, more recently, Twitter/X.  

40% tax on Online Poker? Yup, I escaped in the nick of time. It will, of course, drive the game onto black market sites, exactly as the draconian but well-intended "Safer Gambling", KYC & AML regulations already are for B&M poker. Won't do my old employer Flutter much good in the UK, although these days they are global, & the USA is where the growth is. Incidentally, for tax reasons, many of the UK-based SkyBet (part of Flutter) staff are already being relocated to Gib &/or Malta. So even if I were still working for Sky Poker I'd not still be working for them now...

Interestingly, I was only thinking a day or two ago how much B & M poker is thriving in  the UK despite the swathe of Regulatory stuff. Last week at DTD the WSOP-C Circus came to town, & the numbers of attendees & re-entries were eye-watering. For the Main last week the entries for the £1,500 Main totalled 845 (!), & for the sideys the numbers were equally spectacular all week.

The place is always busy though, the £50 chip-fest every Friday night gets close on 400 runners, & a standard midweek £50 affair gets 200+. same for the bigger comps at the weekend. Live poker really is booming. It's a similar story at the Grosvenor venues as far as I can tell too.  For B&M poker, the good times are here (subject to AML, KYC, RG etc), for Online, seems a bit mean to say it after it provided me with an 18 year "bonus" career, but I won't miss it.

[Karabiner]

I think online poker might well be collateral damage in this, as online casinos were probably the real target.

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Yes, I think that's the case, Ralph. But they have also increased the duty on online sports bets, so there is now a difference between the same bet placed in a betting shop and online - I wonder if they will at least offer the same prices in shops, as I think they tend to be lower.

At the moment betting exchanges are also staying unchanged at 15% and will do so unless they change from what they announced in terms of new legislation. Maybe Flutter will promote Betfair exchange more on the basis that they have an advantage over competitors.

[bagel]

in the local spoons there is a gang of older fellas who are in there all day , every day having a few bevvies and betting the horses. one of them has a betfair account on phone and takes all of their bets despite corals and hills both opposite . not sure what his cut is but he definetely does ok, while the others beat the bookies prices. this surely happens all over the place .  the shops would really struggle without the roulette/fruit machines , even though they have to replace windows on a regular basis when someone does their bollocks and loses their rag .