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The European Interactive Gaming Congress and Expo (EIG) held in October 2007 in Barcelona was the place where a new code of conduct for the european gambling industry was suggested, starting from a worshop discussion started by Microgaming and than joined by GamCare, eCogra, and the RGA that presented the new code of conduct to leading online gaming jurisdictions.
The 30-points code of conduct is dealing with issues regarding poker and other forms of online gambling is loking into issues related to responsabile gambling such as : underage gamblers, protection for online players, , advertising, staff training and customer communication.
Andrew Poole, MD of GamCare Trade Services, declared : ‘We are hoping that adoption of this code will better enable the gambling public to make better informed decisions regarding their online gambling destinations, with the knowledge that operators are required to protect the welfare and enjoyment of their players.’
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According with an interesting article in Liberation, France has already started considering how it will change its national gambling laws in order to comply with the obligations required by the European Commission.
According with new info France has until October 29 to act. But France refuses the principle of mutual recognition, which allows a company recognized by a European Convention country to propose its services everywhere within the European Union.
The PMU, French horse betting monopoly, whose sales turnover rose in 2006 to 8,1 billion euros, including 327,6 million euros (4%) for the only bets online, reverse part of its benefit to the horse die, which represents 62.000 direct employment.
For the sociologist specialist in the gambling Jean-Pierre Martignoni-Hutina, it is about a “positive evolution†of the French doctrines. It wishes nevertheless that this “modernization of the economy of the plays†is accompanied by the creation of a new authority of regulation
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This is the new deadline, extended by 2 months, given by the European Commission to France and Greece for a corelation of their laws with the EU principle of free movement of services within the European Union.
Otherwise, a complaint in front the European Court of Justice will be started, as confirmed by Oliver Drewes, a spokesman for the executive’s Internal Market Commissioner, Charlie McCreevy. He added that the situation in France had altered since a favourable court ruling in July which overturned a ruling that banned a Maltese firm, Zeturf, from offering online horse race betting in France.
This has increased pressure on France to end its state gaming monopoly, until now only native providers Française des Jeux (a multi game operator) and PMU (the French tote) are permitted to advertise their services over the Internet.
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Sealand, world’s smallest state located six miles off the Eastern shores of Great Britain, could become a high target for online businesses after it has announced that it is in negociations with a Russian consortium in order to make a multi-million dollar investment for an online casino. A sattelite could have been launched from the island and other servers could have been provided by the investment.
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The Swedish Gaming Board, called in their own language the Lotteriinspektionen, has requested UK-based betting exchange RedBet Ltd to send information on its employees.
Apparantly they think Redbet has emplyees based in Sweden : ” This private information has been requested in an attempt to ascertain whether Redbet has too many employees based in Sweden, a country which allows only government-owned gaming operations.”
According to Igaming:
The power to demand usually private information from online gambling companies is based on Swedish laws that permit the Board to require information if it is of the opinion that a commercial entity is carrying on an illegal gambling business in the country. Such information may be required to enable the Board to establish whether significant business for the company is being conducted without authority on Swedish soil.
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South Aforica looks more progressive than the US. Atleast in the field of online gmbling, because the African state has just introduced a bill that makes Internet Gambling legal, though the Department of Trade and Industry.
software vendors providing online gambling platforms will be required to obtain a national license for key staff as well as for the interactive software itself. In addition, licenses will be needed for related equipment along with the suppliers and maintenance providers of that equipment. Probity and technical checks will be a prominent feature of the process, thoroughly investigating each applicant for licensing.
The goal of the Bill is to protect players, ensure gambling revenue reaches the national treasury, retain interactive gambling players in South Africa and prevent underage or problem gambling.
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The European Court of Justice (ECJ) decided in the case (C-260/04) against Italy saying that it was wrong to renew 329 horse race betting licences without a public tender .
The Italian government decided in 1999 to increase the number of betting centres in Italy from 329 to 1,000, with only the new concessions put out to tender with the existing ones renewed for six years.
But the ECJ said that this was illeagal and ruled that ” by renewing 329 licences for horse-race betting operations without inviting any competing bids, the Italian Republic failed to fulfil its obligations under Articles 43 and 49 EC and, in particular, infringed the general principle of transparency and the obligation to ensure a sufficient degree of advertising. ”
Italian authorities cannot restrict access to European operators simply for the purpose of guaranteeing “continuity, financial stability and a proper return on past investments for licence holdersâ€. Moreover, the Italian argumentation failed to show how the renewal or maintenance of the old concessions without a tendering procedure would in any way help to prevent clandestine betting.
European Gaming and Betting Association welcomed the decision that is in line with previous ECJ rulings reached in the Gambelli and Placanica cases amd considered today’s ECJ ruling marks an important step towards a regulated European gaming and betting market and encourages Italy and other EU Member States to review their legislation.
According to Sigrid Ligné, Secretary General of the EGBA: „The Court’s decision sends a clear signal to Member States currently offering, or planning to offer, licences to European gaming and betting operators. The Court clearly states that the licensing must be undertaken within a set of clear and strict parameters, which are in line with the EC treaty. The Court‘s decision also underlines that these licences cannot be awarded without a transparent, competitive and fair tendering procedure“.
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Following the launch of the UK’s Gambling Act 2005 on September 1, many online gaming companies are shifting their operations to take advantage of geographical approval from the Government, according to Casinowire.
Malta has tax rates cut to 2.5%, comparing with 15 per cent of gross profits possible in UK. MaltaMedia News announces William Hill is transferring its online gambling operation from the Dutch Antilles in the Caribbean to Malta and the Gibraltar. The gambling giant said that the move allow it to conduct “business as usual”, after new amendments to the United Kingdom (UK) Gambling Act 2005 were announced. Under the new amendments, which will take effect on the 1st September, only gambling companies based within the European Economic Area (EEA) or on a Government White list will be able to advertise in the UK.
Moreover InterCasino and InterPoker’s new gaming licenses in Malta, is a clear sign of the island’s move to solidify its position in the online gambling industry
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The new UK law on gambling replaces the old law from 1845 and creates new opportunities for the £91 billion UK gambling industry. According to out-law, the new act from 2005 came into force in stages, first by creating the Gambling Commission.
From 1 September 2007 the Commission will regulate British-based remote gambling operators, arcades and the betting industry. The biggest change under the Act is that casinos, bookmakers and online betting sites will be able to advertise their services on TV and radio in the UK for the first time.
Same have already complained , such as the UK based charities such as the Salvation Army that are worried that the act may cause a rise in addicted gambling, due to increased exposure.
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The Italian Authority for State Monopolies (Amministrazione autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato) has announced that it might change again the regulatory framework for remote gambling and to allow credit cards usage on in the Italian licensed website.
The new laws could be introduced in 2008 and wants to stop money laundring activities.
It remains to be seen if that will be applied, but it seems that Italy has not learnt at all the lessons from the European Court in the cases Gambelii and Placanica.