The EU Needs Harmonized Gambling Laws

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), the trade organization representing most of Europe's online gambling companies called the European Commission to harmonize laws and to protect consumers.

Also, numerous EU operators lodged formal complaint to the European Commission against the new German internet casino regulations.

The complaint against the new German gambling laws is based on grounds of their incompatibility with the EU treaty.

EGBA believes that it is essential to have a common EU legislation for online gambling. There is no use in having 27 different laws and 27 “mini-markets”. The EGBA wants to see EU-wide, sector specific laws that regulate the market.

The European Commission's Communication and Action Plan on Online Gambling expected to be delivered in October.

EGBA Secretary General Sigrid Ligne commented on Tuesday: “We deplore the situation today where we see ‘27 mini-markets’ for gambling in Europe. We are calling for the introduction of European rules to ensure proper protection for consumers and maintain a crime-free environment throughout the EU, while affording open, fair and transparent licensing conditions for EU-regulated operators.”

Ligne added: "We urge the European Commission to handle our complaint urgently as Germany is in the process of allocating licenses on the basis of a highly contentious tendering procedure which appears, on the basis of an accumulation of evidence, not to be designed to pursue the declared purpose of conducting an open, fair and transparent Europe-wide call for bids."

Ligne claimed: "Unfortunately, the situation is worsening in a number of jurisdictions. Several Member States have decided to move forward with legislation that is - at best - highly questionable under EU law.”

EGBA Secretary General added: “Some have even gone a step further. If the Commission fails to provide a timetable for reactivating these dormant procedures, and to take rapid action against new offenders, certain Member States will continue to consider that they have ‘carte blanche’ to do as they please."

Ligne asked the sources delivering online gambling news in Germany: “Can the Commission afford to sit back and ignore an online industry which is set to grow from Euro 8.5 billion in 2010 to Euro 13 billion in 2015?”