Last week, it was reported that Mansion Poker sent out an email to all of its UK-based members detailing the impending closure of their accounts. The email spoke of the new taxation laws surrounding the UK’s online gambling market, informing members from that region that they would no longer be able to play at Mansion Poker, effective September 15th. While the email did indeed go out, and the online poker division of the Mansion Group is shutting down, the company denied the amplified rumors that the brand was wholly exiting the UK market.
On September 10th, the popular internet poker operator released a statement denying its purported exit from the UK market, for the most part. According to the new reports, Mansion asserted that it is already undergoing the process of obtaining a license to continue operating in the United Kingdom. The deadline for the required licensure is September 15th – the date Mansion Poker will be ceasing all account activities in the region – with the new tax law going into effect on October 1st, 2014. But the company’s multiple online casino brands will continue to offer services to UK customers.
“Through this [licensing] process the company will continue to fully support all current and potential players within the United Kingdom, with a strong focus on growing its UK consumer base in each of its casino brands,” the company said on Wednesday. However, the Mansion Poker division, which was referred to as “a very marginal part” of the company’s overall business, will not be applying for a license under the revisions of the UK Gambling Act. Thus, as previously reported, UK members of the online poker room are still encouraged to request a withdrawal of their account balances from Mansion Poker on or before the Sept. 15th deadline.
The Mansion Group’s online casino brands that will remain in operation under UK guidance include its namesake, Mansion Casino, as well as Casino.com, Club777, LesAcasino and Slots Heaven. These gambling domains will continue to operate with business as usual throughout the impending UK licensure process.
According to the new rules of taxation, any online poker, casino, sportsbook or bingo operator that is licensed outside of the United Kingdom will have to obtain a UK license in order to continue accepting customers from that region. Then, on October 1st, all who elect to maintain a UK license will be subject to a 15% tax rate on any wagers derived from UK customers.
At present, there are hundreds of online gambling operations licensed in tax havens such as Gibraltar, where the annual fees are substantially lower despite the fact that they cater predominantly to the UK market. As part of the new licensure scheme, those operators will also be subject to stricter player verification rules, which essentially means they can no longer accept customers from regional markets where online gambling is not permitted, less they risk forfeiture of their UK license.
In related news, as Mansion prepares to close its online poker sector to the United Kingdom, two other operators have informed their members that they will be ceasing operations with UK clientele. SBOBet will cease all operations in the UK as of September 15th, assuring customers that their balances will be refunded no later than September 30th. 12Bet will be closing its online sportsbook on September 30th, but will continue to offer online casino gambling in the UK.