Britain pushes for international framework

The British government held preliminary talks in Ascot with representatives of 30 countries to discuss the creation of an international framework for the regulation of online gambling, the International Herald Tribune reported on Tuesday. The United States stayed away. British officials believe regulation is better than prohibition and are trying to bring the offshore sites onshore, preferably to Britain. Sports minister Richard Caborn says the British policy is motivated by consumer protection, not tax revenue. The conference failed to agree on the text for a set of guidelines for regulators. But Mark Mendel, who is representing the bookmakers' interests in Antigua's dispute at the WTO, was confident a consensus on the good intentions could be reached within days.