News MMO operators need new licenses in UK

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/07/09/mmo_operators_need_new_licenses_in_uk/1

MMO operators in the UK may soon need a new license to avoid breaking new gambling laws that will take effect come September.

 

the whole thing is just indicative of the UK governments lack of understanding of modern games, as you said.

 

If the Operators change the competitions from one of chance to a one of skill (ie ask a question) does the need for a licence still apply? and if so how is it any different to a phone in competition to justify the added licence

 

How are they gonna prevent Children from playing it?
Ask everyone to post in their ID before signing up for an account?

 

Seriously, i'm speachless

so stupid . . .

 

It's depressing that my taxes pay the salaries of people this moronic.

 

At the mention of Second Life in the article, that reminds me that I should buy some bondage equipment in the game for me and my 'provisional friend'. Call me provincial.

 

hmm.. I thought you need to be winning something of monetary value to be 'gambling'?

edit: ..answered my own question by reading

 

so it doesn't apply then

However, in games like WoW you are not allowed to exchange virtual goods for real money

 

edit: how do i delete my own post on this new board? .. removing all characters doesnt seem to work

 

Since when does that stop the lazy or people without enough time/patience, I used to play a lot of WoW and you'd be suprised at the amount of people that buy gold, I had a guild mate offer me £20 real cash for some armour set once lol

 

That's like calling paintball gambling.
Or Live Role Playing Games like D&D.
How about Monopoly? We used to play for candy when I was a kid. I always knew grandma was a bad influence.
stupid.
But I blame all the people who claim their virtual life is no different from their real life. Guess what? The government says "sure! We'll tax you and regulate your virtual life just like the real one! If thats what you really want!" *government laughs all the way to the bank* So the ones who can't distinguish between life and a game brought this on themselves, and the rest have to suffer.

 

but if it explicitly breaks the EULA, how can you tax somone
its like taxing smuggled cigarettes, you just cant do it, its against the law but it still happens

 

Very true, i see where you're coming from

 

UK and USA MMO gamers should watch out, pseudo taxing is coming your way!

 

ive just watched episode 2 13 of early edition and whilst not entirely along the same lines as this discussion i can see how it relates; government trying to get out of us what they can and us needing to go trough miles of red tape to get anything we want done. We are already taxed on income now they want to tax now they want to tax us on the objects we get i games (which by the way mr brown are not ours but that of blizzard) i cant see this going to pass as any half decent lawyer should be able to stop this.

edit: i dont see how they could possibly tax us on them anyway as the items in games technically hold no monitory (sp?) value anyway.

 

*faceplant*