British Leader Critical Of U.S. Ban

Published: Friday, October 27, 2006 Online-Casinos.com

BRITISH LEADER CRITICAL OF U.S. ONLINE GAMBLING BAN

Jowell warns on gambling regulation


The chief political correspondent at FT.com, Jean Eaglesham, reports that the British government culture secretary Tessa Jowell, mounted an extraordinary attack on the "new prohibition" U.S. crackdown on online gambling on Thursday, warning the move could provoke an increase in fraud and exploitation redolent of the 1920s ban on alcohol sales.

"America should have learnt the lessons of prohibition" Ms Jowell said. She warned there was a "real danger" the US would create "the modern day equivalent of speakeasies" by popularising badly regulated offshore internet sites.

The British approach to Internet gambling is to strictly regulate and tax the pastime.