The sports betting division of Stanley Leisure has filed a statement with the European Commission against the section 66 of the Italian Finance Act 2006, which would deny access for gambling services suppliers, who are not in possession of an Italian concession, to the Italian telecommunications and internet networks.
Liverpool-based Stanley International, which is believed to have filed a similar complaint with the Italian President, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, said the law if approved in its current draft is contrary to article 49 (freedom to provide services) of the Treaty of Rome and to the most recent rulings of the European Court of Justice.
In the meantime, Italian media reports revealed the Ministry of Economy already provided the telecommunications and internet networks a “black list” of foreign websites to be blocked access to the Italian market, which is estimated to have been worth EUR 1.2 billion in 2004.
In separate news, the Belgium\’s National Lottery is under scrutiny by the European Commission following a complaint by an unidentified German company regarding the Lottery\’s increased spending on marketing, which is to be considered contrary to EU legislation.
Calculators
