Online Gambling Giant Leaves UK For Alderney License

Online gambling operation, Totesport Casinos, a subsidiary of government-owned bookmaker Tote, has made a move that is being called an embarrassment to the UK Labour government; moving their operations to the jurisdiction of Alderney for regulation and licensing.

The company stated that with this latest move, they will be able to continue advertising to UK punters, yet avoid paying the significantly high taxation imposed on Internet gambling companies by Gordon Brown, who was Chancellor at the time, and now Prime Minister of the UK.

Brown's high, 15% taxation of UK-based online gambling operators has greatly discouraged Internet gambling companies in other European nations from switching to a UK license. These operators claim they have essentially been forced to boycott the UK due to Brown's excessive "remote gambling duty".

The tax has been called "a joke" by one online gambling operated who stated the industry could still target UK-based players while paying little or no tax from another jurisdiction.

Formerly licensed in Curacao, which prohibits advertising online gambling in the UK, Tote has moved their operations to Alderney and will subsequently be privatizing the company very soon. According to a Tote spokesperson, the move to Alderney will allow them to freely advertise Totesport Casino in the UK, especially the sponsorship of horse racing events. The spokesperson claimed the lower taxes played a vital in the decision.