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Virtual currencies, eSports and social gaming - discussion paper

Start date: 11 August 2016

End date: 30 September 2016

Providing facilities for gambling without a licence, or an exemption applying, is a criminal offence.

Gambling is defined as betting, gaming or participating in a lottery. Those definitions distinguish the activities which need to be licensed and other activities which, although they combine expenditure and the influence of chance, do not need to be licensed.

There are many ways in which individuals and organisations can provide facilities for gambling, or take part in gambling. This discussion paper sets out our current thinking and approach to distinguishing between activities that need to be licensed and activities that do not.

This discussion paper briefly explains the legal framework governing remote gambling in the UK and sets out our thinking on:

  • virtual currencies and in-game items, which can be used to gamble
  • gambling on eSports
  • social gaming.

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