How safe a bet are online bookies?

Always bet on trap four ... or is it two...

The UK government is planning to introduce a kitemark system allowing online gamblers to identify licensed and regulated gaming sites, a report published yesterday reveals.

In a document entitled 'A Safe Bet for Success' the Department for Culture Media and Sport set out its recommendations for online betting.

The report reads: "The Government will legalise the provision of the full range of online gambling services by operators based in the UK, including online gaming.

"A kitemark or similar mechanism will be introduced to enable prospective customers to distinguish between those sites that are licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission and those that are not."