Do you promote only UK licensed sites to UK residents?

[MichaelCorfman]

According to the UK gambling commission only online gambling sites licensed in the UK should be promoted to UK residents. On that basis many affiliates only promote UK licensed online gambling sites to UK residents. That is particularly true of UK affiliates.

How about you? Do you promote non-UK licensed sites to UK citizens? If you do, do you do so as a UK affiliate or an affiliate focused primarily on UK punters? Or do you do so as an affiliate based outside the UK or without a focus on the UK? Besides answering the poll question, be sure to share your view of sites that are licensed in specific jurisdiction and how that influences how you promote them in different countries.

Michael

[Syndicate]

I am UK Citizen (not resident) - but it's enough for me to keep it clean with my own country. To be honest i see nothing worth taking on, other than structuring some of the syndicates (not affiliates) into more friendly locations. In other countries i'm willing to take on establishment, if i can find protection and legal ground.

[Sherlock]

There are almost no sportsbook brands that accept UK players and have no UK licence. Even the bookies that try to be present at regulated markets without licence (like 1xbet, 5dimes) do not accept UK players. Even bitcoin sportsbook Nitrogensports told me they accept all players except UK.

So I try to promote illegally only few bitcoin bookies, but it is not worth of it. The established brands are converting much better.

[baldidiot]

There are so many good UK licensed brands it doesn't make sense to promote non-licensed ones.

Plus as Sherlock said, most of the ones without UK licenses don't accept UK players anyway. In fact it's probably quite hard to find a good site worth promoting that accepted UK players but didn't have a license. Anyone think of any?

[Sherlock]

Cloudbet for bitcoins has some UK conversions. Maybe it is a different situation with casinos, where some stronger nonlicensed brands exist.

Tbh I really hate how I am fenced and bound to legal and licensed bookies. It is a monopoly. I expect only problems in UK market in future. Unlike in US where unlicensed operators are really strong and winning competition, there is nothing like that in UK. In the end we will all cry (without bet365 I would be already crying there).

[Doolally]

I'm UK based and only promote UK licensed sites to all visitors.

I tend to go on the theory that the best operators will put the effort into getting UK licenses and the rest are either trying to hide something or not bothering enough to be worth my effort.

[Sherlock]

I tend to go on the theory that the best operators will put the effort into getting UK licenses and the rest are either trying to hide something or not bothering enough to be worth my effort.

I tend to think that UK is overprotective country, where is a tradition of strong gambling industry that welcomes strongly regulated industry. When it comes to intangible assets, the UK is #1 country when it is about enforcement of law. UK internet is widely censored even now, so there is a strong doubt even if unlicenced gambling site established the brand in the UK, that they will be able to milk it up. And GBP as currency has most likely to run through GBP banks. So there are big obstacles for pirate bookies.

I am curious if Pinnacle will obtain UK licence. It has to be done soon I have heard.

[colin3005]

UK based and only promote UK licensed casino's. To do anything else would be counter productive in my view, not that you can really find anyone to accept UK customers if they aren't licensed (except Vista Gaming it seems).

UK internet is widely censored even now

I'm confused by that, I don't see any censorship at all, apart from the odd block put on sites such as thepiratebay etc, but its not only the UK who have that type of restrictions, and hey are easy to get round anyway.

I am curious if Pinnacle will obtain UK licence. It has to be done soon I have heard.

Q4 of this year apparently.

[ocreditor]

I'm not based in the UK but to my UK traffic I'm offering UK licensed casinos.

[Sherlock]

I'm confused by that, I don't see any censorship at all, apart from the odd block put on sites such as thepiratebay etc, but its not only the UK who have that type of restrictions, and hey are easy to get round anyway.

Of course you do not see the cenzorship. That is why is UK so outstanding with superinjunction types of blocks. For example that they learnt the way and created IWL list that is secret so no one knows what exactly is censored.

Yes, many countries follow the UK way, but UK is real pioneer in scare tactics (you were first with massive introduction of CCTV camers, thanks for that too!). For example detention of David Miranda to scare Glenn Greenwald. Snowden is sitting for years at some embassy for years as well.

There are still countries where public opposes such tactics in the world and politicians do not abuse the protective approach so much.

Do not take it personally please, I have no intention to harm your feelings or start a flame. I respect abuse of power of anybody who has it. I just say that in the end it will be a disaster for affiliates, who are just small fries. Power has always tendency to monopolize. Regulated bookies are here just to be taxed and milked, together with affiliates. Free market competition that was possible during the onset of digital era is over. But certainly the free market is better for affiliates than fenced economies. Nobody can expect from me to support state regulation if it cost me money. So far it is not a case of UK, but it is a case of US or Romania or Portugal and UK might follow one day.

[MrBinaryAff]

With binary options it's a bit tricky question. FCA doesn't really give licences to some companies, but can blacklist them, so... we don't promote binary options brokers who are blacklisted, so answered with second option