Euro trade bodies issue Barnier with illegal operator warning
European Lotteries, European Casino Association and European Pari Mutuel Association warn EC Commissioner of failure of Action Plan to protect against unlicensed operators.
Three major European gambling trade bodies have warned EC Commissioner Michel Barnier of the threat posed to measures in his egaming action plan by unlicensed operators.
In an open letter sent late last week, European Lotteries (EL), the European Casino Association (ECA) and European Pari Mutuel Association (EPMA) have expressed their concern that consumer protection measures could prove “meaningless” unless the fight against “illegal” operators is prioritised.
The letter describes these unlicensed entities as “The forms of gambling that are the most dangerous in terms of specific risks in terms of fraud, money laundering and addiction, whose consequences, both social as well as the financial can be disastrous for players.
“The Commission and its services however do not seem to show that the fight against illegal gambling offers is a priority by addressing it. The widespread availability of illegal gambling, unlike the regulation of licensed operators that falls within the sole jurisdiction of the Member State(s), is a cross-border problem, requiring therefore a strong and joint response at the level of the European Union,” it continues.
In its expression of concerns surrounding illegal or unlicensed operators, the open letter to Commissioner Barnier explains: “The prohibition of commercial communications on illegal gambling offerings, which is in place in several European countries, is indeed one of the most effective measures against illegal gambling.”
It also cites the concept of “Establishing lists of sites of authorised gambling operators (white list) and illegal sites (black list), and blocking the access to unauthorised sites and financial flows related to illegal gambling activities.” Such measures have already been introduced in Belgium and Denmark, among other jurisdictions.
Last November’s European Commission Action Plan on Online Gambling pledged to crack down on those European Union member states whose egaming regulations were deemed non-compliant with EU law.
Among those jurisdictions whose regulations have come under scrutiny are Germany, Belgium and Greece, while November saw the EC issue an opinion against new egaming legislation introduced in the Czech Republic.
The Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) ruled last week that OPAP’s monopoly in Greece was “unjustified”, following a joint complaint last year from lobby groups the Remote Gambling Association (RGA) and the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA).
Meanwhile Germany’s State Treaty – the subject of a damning EC opinion last month – continues to be debated while last week saw Germany’s federal court refer questions over the treaty to the CJEU following efforts from breakaway state Schleswig-Holstein to abandon its own egaming regulations to join the country’s remaining 15 states.