Regulation in Great Britian (Economist, 9/14)

[Corey]

Link To Article, but I think you need to be a subscriber

A few excerpts:

"Earlier this month hearings were held to select a site for a new bricks-and-mortar supercasino. And next year online casinos will be legalised in an effort to regulate and tax a fast-growing industry."

"The biggest winners are punters themselves, as deregulation and competition drive down margins."

"But the industry's rapid growth has also prompted concern that deregulation has gone too far in Britain and is creating a nation of addicts. So far the data suggest otherwise."

The gist of the article says that dergulation has been a great thing for bettors (citing avergage payouts in a B&M vs. internet) but the amount of money wagered has increased to offset the declining margins. Also, Britian is attempting to bring the gambling businesses, often owned by Britons, back where they can be regulated and taxed.

Edit: An Older, Free Article, which may have been discussed here, about state-run betting industries Europe.