Despite the media lambasting the new Casino Act, the British public sees the positives. Latest surveys, conducted by PKR.com and YouGov, shows that the government plans to license and regulate online gambling are broadly supported by Britons.

63% of over 4,500 respondents agree with the government strategy to oversee online gambling industry in the UK. Even 50% non-gambling respondents agree with Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell’s plans, while 14% non-gamblers disagree.

According to the survey, casino licensing and regulation strongly affect the consumer decision of which gambling site to play.  Nearly two thirds of respondents consider gambling license as important, while only 5% see licensing as “not important at all”.

Interestingly, not all licenses are seen equal, and 70% of those polled expressed their preferences towards sites operating under licenses issued under British Government regulations, as they trust them more.

However, the question remains if the badge of trust endorsed by the British Government will be enough to attract many online gambling sites to the UK. The Adam Smith Institute believes that high taxation may prove to be too high a barrier for many businesses and they will stay in equally trusted but offshore locations, such as Alderney.