The Association of Remote Gambling Operators, which represents UK\’s telephone and online bookmakers, has issued a new report entitled “Fair, Honest and Safe: Cross border remote gambling within the European Union.”
The report alleges that many EU member states are imposing “unfair and illegal trade barriers” preventing English bookmakers from accessing their markets.
Each of the 25 EU member states have their own gambling legislation, often involving a state-owned monopoly, and most have responded to the arrival of internet gambling by applying restrictions to the access of operators based in other member states.
The report argues that cross-border gambling services can be restricted in the interests of consumer protection, for the prevention of fraud and to maintain public order, but cannot be motivated by a desire to protect domestic monopolies and tax revenues.
Restrictions must be “necessary, non-discriminatory and proportionate.”
According to the EC Treaty, gambling is a legitimate service and European Court of Justice case law has confirmed the legal basis for providing cross-border gambling services.
ARGO would like to see this action extended to non-compliant states.
“Those opposed to the free movement of remote gambling services in the EU hold deeply entrenched views. However, we are in this for the long haul and will continue to argue strongly our position is supported by EU law and recent ECJ cases,” said Clive Hawkswood, ARGO’s general secretary.
The report warns that, if EU providers are not allowed to service customers in other member states, those customers will resort to non-EU suppliers, operating from locations where regulatory standards are much lower.
“It is perverse that socially responsible remote gambling operators who are properly licensed in one EU state cannot offer their products freely within the internal market, although legally entitled to do so. Removing unfair barriers is crucial to the long-term success of the [betting] industry in Europe,” said Ian Spearing, ARGO’s chairman.
To read the full report click here.
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