As most of us have heard by now, the UK Gambling Act 2005 (UKGA) went into effect this past Friday, 01 September. The Act updates legislation dating back to 1845 and will now cover nearly all forms of gambling, including arcades, betting, bingo, casinos, online gambling and gambling in pubs and clubs.

In particular, the Act allows remote gaming operators—online casinos and the like—to be based in and regulated by Great Britain. Licensed online casinos can accept bets from gamblers worldwide, including the U.S.

But what real changes will you and I actually see? And how are people reacting to the changes in the legal landscape?

As far as your everyday punter is concerned, the immediate changes they'll see is the reform of the old restrictions on advertising, opening hours and club memberships.

As of this past Friday, it is now legal in the UK for bookmakers, casinos and betting websites to advertise on TV and radio and that's been immediately obvious: new casino related billboards were going up as early as the middle of last week and TV spots featuring casino services—including their swanky restaurants—are in the editing studios as I write this.

The betting shops will get a boost too, as they will now be observing their new year-round, 7am to 10pm opening hours instead of the old "summer only" rules.

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