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French Prime Minister’s Report Proposes Rigid Gambling Regime
08/05/2008: An official report prepared for France’s Prime Minister François Fillon suggests that any ‘controlled opening’ of France’s online gambling market must be accompanied by tough restrictions to shore up the new regime. The report recommends the government explore whether bans on payments and advertising for unauthorized sites, originally included in last year’s Delinquency Law, could be squared with EU law under a more open licensing system - from which betting exchanges, spread betting and certain types of online casinos games seem likely to nevertheless be excluded.
British Peers Denounce French Gambling Laws
07/05/2008: A French law that defends its “state monopoly on gambling” and puts gamblers on a par with child pornographers was yesterday denounced by the British Government yesterday as “atrocious.” The criticism comes as France prepares to respond to sustained EC pressure over its gambling laws.
Member States Resist ECJ Probe Into Gambling Law ‘Consistency’
02/05/2008: Upon the judges’ specific invitation, participants at this week’s public European Court of Justice hearing on Bwin and the Portuguese Football League’s challenge to the betting monopoly held by Portugal’s Santa Casa agreed that EU Member States must be consistent in their application of restrictive gambling policies. However, representatives from all but Bwin were adamant that the critical ‘consistency requirement’ must be applied as narrowly as possibly, and not across sub-sectors of the gambling industry.
Change In Approach Prompts Further Bloodletting At Svenska Spel
02/05/2008: Following the departure of the company’s CEO just weeks ago, Swedish monopoly gaming operator Svenska Spel has been affected by two more defections in its ranks. Two divisional managers resigned this week, indicating their reluctance to embrace the change in managerial direction away from market competitiveness towards a more restricted offering favoured by the Swedish government and the company’s new chairwoman.
Online Bookmakers Take First Round In Tennis Trial
30/04/2008: Three of Europe’s major online gambling companies have overcome the first stage of a legal challenge from the organizers of the French Open tennis championships who had accused them of violating their rights by offering bets on Roland Garros matches. The unambiguous verdict will give heart to the operators who face another hearing in Paris next month.
Bwin Clashes With Portuguese Government In ECJ Dispute
30/04/2008: At yesterday’s public ECJ Grand Chamber hearing on Bwin’s and the Portuguese Football League’s challenge to the gambling monopoly held by Portugal’s Santa Casa da Misericórdia, the two parties clashed over whether Portugal’s restrictive gambling policy could be justified by the public order interests cited by the Portuguese government. But whilst it was only Portugal’s gambling policy under scrutiny in Luxembourg yesterday, it became clear the high-profile case has attracted the attention of various EU Member States.
Holland Casino Hopeful of Re-Igniting Online Bill
28/04/2008: Visitor numbers are up, but spend per customer is down; times are clearly getting tougher for Dutch monopoly operator Holland Casino. It is therefore unsurprising the company is looking to diversify income, whether through more entertainment at its casinos or having another crack at getting online legislation included in a new gambling bill due in the summer.
CEO’s Resignation Spels New Direction For Svenska
22/04/2008: Svenska Spel’s Jesper Kärrbrink announced yesterday that he is to step down from his role as CEO of the company. The announcement comes less than three weeks after the appointment of a new chair to the Svenska Spel board, and furthers speculation that the state-owned gaming operator is likely to witness a restriction in its room to manoeuvre in the Swedish market over the coming months.
Austrian Court Ruling Undercuts Monopoly Claims
18/04/2008: A court ruling in Austria has turned up the heat for reform of legislation banning online gaming in that country, but action by the European Commission may still be needed to bring about amendment of the current monopoly gambling regime.
Tounge-Tied Swedes Obscure Svenska Spel’s Future
11/04/2008: Ministerial rhetoric on reshaping gambling monopoly Svenska Spel into a more socially responsible operator has evidently not been communicated to Brussels, as time runs out for Sweden to answer EU’s concerns. The appointment of a new chairman for the operator, widely regarded as unsuitable for the role, has also raised questions about government indecision.
