European Questions

Published: Wednesday, April 05, 2006 Online-Casinos.com

EUROPEAN QUESTIONS

EC wants to know why states are restricting access

There was plenty of action on the European "sovereignty" front this week as the Italians and the Maltese bumped heads over the ISP blockade on Internet gambling sites imposed by Italian decree; the French went global with their FDJeux lottery whilst continuing to ban access to their own citizens by other states and the German constitutional court required state gambling bodies to smarten up.

But what really had everyone talking was a quiet announcement by the European Commission (EC) that it is making official requests for information to Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden as to why they are restricting access to internet sportsbetting services.

Talked about, because this is the first step on a road to a full investigation or "infringement procedure".

All the named countries restrict internet betting access by other EU states in protecting their state gambling monopolies, and the EC is concerned that the measures may break EC law on the free movement of services.

The seven countries have two months to respond.

The inquiry follows complaints from a number of operators and an initial EC fact finding mission. Meanwhile, well heeled EU gambling groups continue with expensive legal challenges against the offending countries restricting their business ambitions.

The EC statement says that any restriction on services which seeks to protect consumers on moral grounds must be "consistent and systematic" in how it limits betting. So a member state may not ban online betting with one hand while promoting a national lottery or state-backed bookies with the other.