According to one of the latest surveys, every second adult in Wales gambled in 2018. In addition, around 20% have wagered money online. Of course, these stats should not be taken as absolute truth because they usually don’t include thousands of respondents. Still, when we compare it to the rest of the United Kingdom, the popularity of online gambling in Wales is more or less the same. This means that Welsh people enjoy joining new online casinos in UK like their fellows in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and England.
Still, many people are wondering whether online casinos are legal in Wales. To help you understand the legal status of this activity in Cymru, keep reading our detailed guide.
History of online gambling in Wales
Like in many other countries, players in Wales had a chance to get involved in online gambling from the moment the first casino site was introduced (in the mid-1990s). A few other websites like this were launched after a few months, allowing Welsh players to choose from more than one option.
Of course, the casino games were much simpler back in that decade primarily because of the audiovisual limitations and the relatively slow internet connection. Regarding the legal status of online gambling in Wales, we should emphasise the fact that it belonged to a grey area at that time.
This was not unusual because this activity was something completely new and caught the authorities by surprise. Like many other things that pop up suddenly, it took some time for the government to develop laws and regulations to cover online gambling. The crucial law that changed the legality of online casinos in Wales (and the UK) was the Gambling Act 2005.
The current legal status of online casinos in Wales
Before we go into detail, it’s crucial to mention that Wales is an integral and constitutional part of the UK. Wales has a Senedd that can draft and approve laws regardless of the Parliament of the UK, but only if they refer to the specific needs of Wales (education and health). So, the rules related to gambling and betting adopted by the Parliament of the UK can’t be altered locally in any of the four countries (Wales, England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland).
As mentioned earlier, the Gambling Act 2005 was crucial for the legal status and regulation of online gambling in the UK and Wales. We should also note that a Betting and Gaming Act adopted in 1960 was much stricter and, of course, didn’t cover Internet-based gambling.
With the Gambling Act of 2005, online gambling was legalised entirely. This law also made the creation of the Gambling Commission possible. In fact, two years after this law was passed, the Gambling Commission, as an executive non-departmental (independent) public body of the government of the UK, was established.
With its help, arcades, bingo, betting, lotteries, slot machines, and casinos are regulated and supervised. The same body licences online casinos willing to operate in Wales (and the UK). Of course, these casino sites must meet some of the strictest regulations to get licensed.
Legally speaking, only casinos licensed by the UKGC are allowed to operate in Wales. Still, many players from this country use offshore casinos, which is once again a grey area. Using such casinos is not recommended because opening legal disputes would be much more difficult in cases like this.
While discussing the legality of online casinos in Wales, we should also mention the Gambling Act 2014. This law is focused on licensing and advertising. Needless to say, a few other regulations were introduced in the following years, like the ban on the use of credit cards in online casinos, for example.
The good news is that winnings from online casino games are non-taxable, which is not common in many countries. Players in Wales should know they must be 18 or older to register at gambling sites. However, other than this reasonable requirement, there are no other legal restrictions for them to start playing right away.
The only exception is the cases when players asked for self-exclusion. The authorities in Wales and the UK are doing their best to prevent and tackle problem gambling and compulsive gambling. They support independent organisations and charities like GamCare that focus on raising awareness of these issues.
According to many experts, the legal status of online casinos and gambling in Wales should not change radically in the future. Still, one of the areas where we can expect tighter restrictions is the advertising and marketing of this activity. This is especially true for marketing campaigns targeting young people and individuals with gambling addictions. A change like this will not affect the average player. As long as taxation on online gambling profits is not introduced, Welsh players should be happy.