Of particular note has been a potential tax on offshore-based online gaming companies in order to bring them in line with domestic-based services.

While that idea still appears to be in the cards, a British member of Parliament and member of the ruling Conservative Party has also called on the government to allow UK casinos to offer online gaming to its customers.

James Duddridge was quoted making those comments by the UK’s Echo News after praising the owners of a casino in his constituency for providing jobs and encouraging responsible gaming. UK players are allowed to partake in online gaming in their place of residence provided that the service provider is licenced in the country.

Duddridge hit out at the current position on online gambling and was quoted as saying that gamers would be safer if they were allowed to engage in online gaming at a live gaming establishment rather than in their own home.

“It is ironic games cannot be played online inside, even if one takes in one’s own iPad or iPhone,” he said. “It would be much better to allow casinos to have gambling online within their own premises. That has greater protection for problem gamblers.”

The argument by Duddridge is in many ways unique but would likely be impractical in regards to online poker. Among the key upsides of online poker is that it is convenient and more anonymous than live play (in that physical tells are harder to gauge, for example).

Because of that, many devoted online poker players may find playing online poker at bricks and mortar establishments unappealing as those upsides would not exist in such a situation. Still though, it is always refreshing to see a potentially influential politician who is for poker and gaming in some form.