The UK is one of the best places to be if you enjoy gambling online. Combining ease of access with favorable tax laws, there’s little to worry about of you want to play online poker in the United Kingdom. While new licensing schemes may eventually make some operators consider leaving the market, this should be no more than a minor hiccup to online poker players in the UK.
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Online poker, along with most other forms of online gambling, is completely legal in the United Kingdom. Online gambling is covered under the laws regarding “remote gambling” in the 2005 Gambling Act. Many providers are licensed and regulated in the UK, including several that have had operations in the United Kingdom since well before the advent of online gambling.
There are no serious issues regarding making deposits to or withdrawals from online poker accounts for players in the United Kingdom. Most online sites will even allow you to play poker or other games in pounds, requiring no currency exchange for you to fund your accounts.
The deposit options available to players from the UK are among the most plentiful and reliable in the world. Dozens of e-wallets are available, including popular ones like Moneybookers and Neteller. Both credit and debit cards are widely accepted, bank wires can be used at most sites, and in some cases, there are even unique options available if the site you are playing on has physical shops available in the UK.
If you’re a gambler who is looking to keep as much of their winnings as possible, you’ll be glad you’re playing in the UK. There is no tax collected on gambling winnings, regardless of the amount won or the type of gambling involved.
From a player’s perspective, the outlook for online poker in the UK is just fine. There has been no significant movement to restrict or outlaw online gambling, and players should continue to enjoy full freedom to enjoy online poker for the foreseeable future.
The one area of concern applies mostly to gambling operators, who may soon owe more in taxes if they wish to stay in the UK market. As with many other European countries, it is widely expected that the UK will change their laws to require offshore gambling firms to obtain a UK-specific license if they wish to do business in the country. Many fear that this could eventually lead to taxes being associated with those licenses. However, this should be of minimal concern to players; regardless of the tax schemes involved, there will be no shortage of operators who desire a piece of the lucrative UK gambling market.