For some industries in the UK, the impacts of Brexit are already starting to be felt as uncertainty around some industries continue.
But one of the big spaces that has continued to be a big question mark is within the online gaming space as there are some that have asked whether or not changes abounding from Brexit could have an impact ? whilst it’s unlikely that payment options will change with the rise of eWallets and other digital currencies through payment methods on Coral, but the bigger question comes around playing options particularly through the likes of online casinos and betting sites, so will there be a knock-on impact on the way, or will most escape relatively unharmed?
On one hand, it seems there could be little impact on the majority of the bigger services ? unlike some other industries, most of the regulation for online play is handled by the UK Gambling Commission and puts in place many of the big changes that have been seen over recent years, whilst some EU regulation tackles some aspects of the online space in general with the likes of GDPR, but nothing to impact the gaming space as a whole. With an upcoming review expected with backing to revise gambling regulation, there could be change in the future, but not likely as an impact of Brexit.
One space that could see change, however, is within sites registered at a different location, most notably in Gibraltar ? many of the bigger services that fans turn to are typically registered in Malta and Gibraltar given the different gambling rules and regulation, but with many of the workers and developers in the industry commuting from Spain, if there are restrictions on freedom of movement this could certainly be impacted. Perhaps less now so than before with a major shift to remote working, it is something that many may need to consider moving forward.
One space that may see adjustment is within part of a game mechanic that some have considered to be gambling but has seen many changes in the recent year, and that change is for loot boxes ? some countries within the EU have made sweeping changes to make loot boxes less accessible recently, with some such as the Netherlands leading to cosmetics obtained from loot boxes to be tied to the account so they can’t be bought or sold, and with efforts across Europe looking to double down here, it could mean the UK has a very separate loot box market if changes aren’t implemented in the same way. Given microtransactions are such a core part of modern gaming options, there are certainly many questions yet to be answered in this space.
There will certainly be change coming to online gaming, but whether or not it comes as a result of Brexit is yet to be seen, with such a huge market however it’s tough to say what could be different and what will remain largely the same.
