Minister for Justice Michael McDowell was among representatives of more than 30 governments who attended a conference at Ascot racecourse in Berkshire yesterday on internet and other forms of remote gaming.
The purpose of the meeting, hosted by British culture secretary Tessa Jowell, was to discuss regulation and codes of conduct in the industry.
Among the representatives at the meeting were those Antigua, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Gibraltar, Guernsey and Jersey. The US, which has in effect outlawed internet or online gambling, declined an invitation.
The consensus at the meeting was in favour of regulation rather than an outright ban, provided principles could be laid down for the protection of children and vulnerable adults and to prevent fraud and money-laundering, possibly through an international convention.
Ms Jowell said the British government's drive for regulation was motivated by the need to protect the public rather than garnering extra tax revenue. "The benefit to the economy is less important than our priority of protecting UK citizens," she said.
A spokeswoman for Mr McDowell said the Minister was attending as an observer and without prejudice to the work of the Casino Regulation Committee established last August under the chairmanship of barrister Michael McGrath to report on the possibilities for a legislative basis for the strict regulation of casino-style operations in the State.