Is online gambling the same as porn?
Sounds like an odd question right? Are online gambling and porn the same? Of course not. One has nothing to do with the other, unless of course you’re talking about playing strip poker.
But the UK government seems to think the two have a lot of common. Both fall under the adult content category, and if you live in the United Kingdom you might not be able to access either.
“Might” is the operative word. In July 2013, Prime Minister David Cameron had a brilliant (insert eye roll here) idea to make the Internet safer for young people. So, he’s decided to help filter out the so-called dangers on the Internet.
In Cameron’s words: “I want to talk about the Internet. The impact it is having on the innocence of our children. How online pornography is corroding childhood. And how, in the darkest corners of the Internet, there are things going on that are a direct danger to our children, and that must be stamped out.”
So, by the end of the month, Internet service providers in the UK will be required to filter out any adult-related content. That includes pornography. And that includes your favorite online casino. It could, very well, include informational pages for land-based casinos too, so if you’re planning a trip to Vegas, you might not be able to see websites related to your search.
If this all sounds draconian, we agree. It is. There’s a bit of a silver lining though. If you want to see the content, you still can. Some providers, including Sky and TalkTalk, will have the filters on by default. If you want to see the adult content, you’ll have to adjust the settings with the company. Hopefully, it’s as easy as adjusting something in your account settings and doesn’t require a phone call to a customer support agent. How awkward would that conversation be?
Not all service providers will have the filter on by default. British Telecom and Virgin Media aren’t planning to implement the mandatory filters. Instead, they’re inviting users to tell them to turn the filters on, which is a way better approach.
If you live in the UK and you love to play online casino, poker, or Bingo, make sure you tell your ISP that you don’t want anything to change. And if you live anywhere lese in the free world, this won’t change anything, so happy clicking.
