EU Reevaluates

11/26/2008		EU Reevaluates
Home History Games News Dictionary		The European Union is reevaluating the state of online gambling and internet casinos as more border issues are making it to court over jurisdiction and legislative issues. The concerns are being addresses and evaluated, and Danish Socialist MEP Christel Schaldemose has published a particularly poignant perspective to add fire to the discussions. The report, published in time for the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee meeting in Brussels last week, in hopes that its content will influence the decisions being made in the near future regarding a Parliament Resolution on “the integrity of online gambling.” Mid-December will mark the deadline for final decisions to be made, though it’s acknowledged that no decisions will permanently alter the power of the European Commissions future actions. Schaldemose’s findings say that only 5% of gambling in the Union is accounted for by online casinos, a number that seems a bit low. It goes on to focus on her opinions in regards to gambling’s effects on underage activity, money-laundering, addiction, and scams within the industry. She thinks that self regulation is not enough for independent member states to the EU, and that additional regulation and monitoring is essential for the future of online gambling in Europe. Among her demanding recommendations are calls for clarifying the law as it applies to membership within the EU and jurisdictional rights for online gambling companies, recognition that internet casino access increases online gambling addictions, and a call for help to prevent the growing convergences between medias such as interactive television, website access, and even mobile telephone services. Currently, there are 20 European Union member states that permit online gambling access, and seven countries that do not. One of these member states holds to a private monopoly, while most, thirteen, host liberalized market and the other six have state-owned monopolies. While the report met little resistance from the committee members save a warning by Portuguese Socialist deputy Joel Hasse-Ferreira, stating that even if the perception towards online casinos and gambling services were to alter within the European Union, it will have little to no effect on the industry outside of the 27 participatory nations. Only time will tell, perhaps even by the end of December.

11/26/2008

EU Reevaluates

The European Union is reevaluating the state of online gambling and internet casinos as more border issues are making it to court over jurisdiction and legislative issues. The concerns are being addresses and evaluated, and Danish Socialist MEP Christel Schaldemose has published a particularly poignant perspective to add fire to the discussions.

The report, published in time for the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee meeting in Brussels last week, in hopes that its content will influence the decisions being made in the near future regarding a Parliament Resolution on “the integrity of online gambling.” Mid-December will mark the deadline for final decisions to be made, though it’s acknowledged that no decisions will permanently alter the power of the European Commissions future actions.

Schaldemose’s findings say that only 5% of gambling in the Union is accounted for by online casinos, a number that seems a bit low. It goes on to focus on her opinions in regards to gambling’s effects on underage activity, money-laundering, addiction, and scams within the industry. She thinks that self regulation is not enough for independent member states to the EU, and that additional regulation and monitoring is essential for the future of online gambling in Europe. Among her demanding recommendations are calls for clarifying the law as it applies to membership within the EU and jurisdictional rights for online gambling companies, recognition that internet casino access increases online gambling addictions, and a call for help to prevent the growing convergences between medias such as interactive television, website access, and even mobile telephone services.

Currently, there are 20 European Union member states that permit online gambling access, and seven countries that do not. One of these member states holds to a private monopoly, while most, thirteen, host liberalized market and the other six have state-owned monopolies. While the report met little resistance from the committee members save a warning by Portuguese Socialist deputy Joel Hasse-Ferreira, stating that even if the perception towards online casinos and gambling services were to alter within the European Union, it will have little to no effect on the industry outside of the 27 participatory nations. Only time will tell, perhaps even by the end of December.