The Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association (GBGA) will today (Tuesday) return to court in a renewed effort to reverse the decision to implement a new gambling tax regime in the UK.
As previously reported by iGaming Business, the regulatory body was last year unsuccessful in its efforts to stop the regime being introduced by its counterpart in the UK.
However, the GBGA has renewed its efforts and will attend a session at the Royal Courts of Justice in London this morning to take on the British Government over the new regime.
Lord Pannick QC, one of Britain’s leading lawyers, will head a team of Gibraltar Government experts in what is expected to be a three-day hearing, according to the Gibraltar Chronicle newspaper.
The challenge will focus on the tax regime introduced into the UK Finance Act 2014 and the associated notices and guidance issued by HM Revenue and Customs.
The new regime includes a ‘point of consumption’ tax, which requires gambling operators offering services in the UK to pay duty regardless of whether they are located in the UK or not.
The GBGA is arguing that the new tax regime is not compatible with the requirements of European Union law that guarantee freedom to provide services and prohibit discrimination.
The Gibraltar body will may also recommend that the case be referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union for a preliminary ruling.
source : www.igamingbusiness.com
