Regulatory Change Centre Stage At Conference
Published: Wednesday, June 07, 2006 Online-Casinos.com
LEGAL AND REGULATORY CHANGE CENTRE STAGE AT CONFERENCE
"Unprecedented change" a feature of the legal scene in Europe.
Last week saw 150 gaming professionals gather for Clarion ATE’s 2nd annual European Gambling Briefing (EGB) in Brussels, Belgium.
The scene was set for two days of hard-argued debate as industry players both for and against greater gaming controls came together.
The IGC's Wes Himes, Chair on day one, opened the conference by opining that there is an “…Unprecedented change in the legal scene in Europe.” He then introduced the day’s opening speakers, Jacques Toubon and Christofer Fjellner, both MEPs who have a strong interest in the gaming issue, and whose views are particularly pertinent as the European Parliament threatens to bring proceedings against six member states for monopolistic behaviour in the gaming sector.
It seems that at both a business and a political level there is an increasing ‘us and them’ mentality, with Toubon stating that “It seems in terms of a harmonisation, it is a contest between the European commission and British bookmakers versus European parliament member states’ parliaments and the rest of the world, especially the USA.”
The following two days saw some 35 speakers talk on a range of gambling issues, including country-specific case studies on Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Germany and the UK, plus an update on emerging Eastern European markets. There was also a fascinating look at the growing issue of competition law in the context of gaming and how this might be the new battleground for lawyers representing private operators.
An industry first at the conference was the chance to hear from the Swiss Institute on its completed Draft Report on the Study of Gambling. Martin Sychold, Project Manager of the Study of Gambling Services in the EU Internal Market highlighted that there is still much to be learned before definite conclusions are reached in this complex and controversial sector, stating:“This report is not complete, and it represents merely the beginning of a process of understanding the European market. It is a research tool.”
Day two brought together the most passionate voices from both sides of the arguments for or against greater liberalisation and cross-border competition in the European gambling sector in a spirited session entitled The Great Debate. Regulators, trade bodies and operators each had the chance to present their opposing views in what was an empassioned exchange.
Partick Partouche, CEO of Groupe Partouche, expressed the view of many private operators around Europe when he encouraged regulators, especially from markets such as France, to attend EGB in the future to explain why tightly run land-based businesses were not allowed the freedom to grow online alongside state-run operations. This followed the view from Mark Davies, Managing Director of Betfair, who highlighted “If we do not allow the customer to exercise choice of product offering, the result is that black markets benefit. Therefore while the debate rages on state monopolies, the black market wins.”
EGB also saw a focus on the business implications of regulatory conflict and legal challenges, with sessions on the business opportunities for operators in different European sectors, in all sectors from betting to casino to online. Growth areas such as bingo and lotteries also received attention.
The prognosis from the two days seems clear: The debate on the future direction of European gaming at a regulatory level is still raging strongly and the operator and supplier community are taking greater notice of developments as they impact on business potential.
