ARGENTINA

There is mixed news from Latin America for troubled Spanish gaming group Codere; while it suffered a blow in Argentina over the refusal of a bingo operating licence, it had better news from Uruguay where a casino joint venture received second-stage approval. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

AUSTRALIA

Following the Australian Government's request late last year for the Productivity Commission to undertake a public inquiry into gambling, ClubsNSW has said that it will use the inquiry to call for local internet gambling companies to be subject to the same laws as those imposed on clubs, pubs and casinos that operate poker machines in Australia. Source: Gaming Intelligence Group

BELGIUM

The European Commission put forward proposals to make changes to the EU Directives on Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and on the Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS), which were criticised when they were originally introduced in 2003 for being too complicated, costly and difficult to implement. Electrical and electronic equipment producers are concerned that they, rather than the taxpayer, will become responsible for the costs of WEEE collection. Source: Euromat

CZECH REPUBLIC

The Czech Ministry of Finance has issued permits to the country's five largest bookmakers allowing them to accept bets over the internet for the first time. The licences have been granted after years of lobbying from operators and come as the Ministry prepares broader reform of the Czech gambling market. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

FRANCE

The French Presidency of the Council has finalised its Progress Report on gambling policy. The report was circulated among members of the Council Working Party on 14 November 2008 and is now set to be at the centre of Ministerial debate at the Competitive Council scheduled to take place on 2 December 2008 in Brussels. The progress report identifies issues of common concern for all Member States as well as recognising differences in the different gambling markets across the EU. Source: Euromat

FRANCE

France's ministry of home affairs has authorised French casino operators to organise Texas Hold'em poker tournaments outside of their casino venues for the first time under a new decree signed just before Christmas. Poker games had been restricted to inside casinos under a law from 2007. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

FRANCE

Details have emerged over the Christmas period about how the French gaming market may look in a year's time - but some of the details will have observers worrying about whether a newly regulated market will even be viable. Meanwhile, there is renewed pressure on the French government to allow slot machines into the country's bars in order to retard the pace of closures. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

GERMANY

Private companies now altogether excluded from the German lottery market under new laws that took effect this month have leapt to criticize Germany's state-run lottery operators over their reported plans to launch a pan-European game to rival the EuroMillions lottery before the end of the year. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

GERMANY

While private gaming companies continue to be blocked from operating legally in Germany  due to the State Treaty on Gaming - a law introduced with the stated aim of reducing gambling opportunities - the country's state-run lottery operators have announced plans to introduce a new Eurojackpot game with payouts of up to €90 million. Source Gaming Intelligence Group

GREECE

The European Commission is not satisfied with the recent attempts by OPAP to retain its gaming monopoly in Greece. Measures taken by OPAP in late 2008, including targeting Stanleybet's retail outlets in Athens, received negative feedback from the European Commission. Even the letter from the Greek government, defending the monopoly and arguing against the Reasoned Opinion (issued in February 2008), was deemed insufficient by DG Internal Market and Services. Source: Euromat

IRELAND

Statistics released yesterday showed that betting activity in the Irish horse racing industry shrank in 2008 for the first time in more than 15 years, with horse sales also collapsing, prompting the boss of the sport's governing body to demand the imposition of taxation on offshore betting activity. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

ITALY

Taxes on gaming machine turnover were increased by 1.4 percent under new laws passed at the end of 2008, although lobbying efforts from the sector have since been successful in reducing the applicable tax rate under legislation aimed at assisting Italian businesses during the current economic downturn. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

ITALY

End-of-year figures for Italy's gaming sector reveal that sports betting, scratchcards and slot machines are maintaining their double-digit growth while betting on horseracing and pools games continues to decline. But it is poker which has stolen the show, with a take up since its introduction in the final quarter of 2008 leading forecasters to predict operators are set to share up to €200m in revenues in the coming year. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

SLOVAKIA

As the euro celebrates its tenth anniversary, Slovakia has become the sixteenth country to adopt the EU's single currency after joining the euro zone on 1 January 2009. Despite being introduced into Europeans' pockets in January 2002, the euro was officially launched on 1 January 1999. The number of EU citizens sharing the euro now stands at 323 million. Souce: Euromat

SPAIN

Spain has notified the European Commission of its draft decree on the regulation of gaming and amusement machines, gaming and amusement halls in the Autonomous Community of Extremadura. The decree also regulates the administrative register for gaming machines, gaming companies and machine testing laboratories, in a response to the need to simplify administrative rules in the sector, for social and innovative reasons. Source: Euromat

SPAIN

Popular Party MPs have introduced a congressional resolution urging Spain's ruling Socialist government to introduce legislation to regulate internet gambling activities before Easter, according to the Spanish press. However, observers believe the regulatory process is likely to be delayed due to broader economic and political concerns. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

SWEDEN

A warning has been issued to online poker players in Sweden following a report that players user ID's, passwords and bank details have been stolen by fraudsters in a sophisticated scam which involves the perpetrators passing themselves off as the country's tax authority, Skatteverket. The scam came to light when an online poker player contacted the police, having fallen prey to the fraudsters after receiving a package containing documents and a CD purportedly from the tax authority. Source: Gaming Intelligence Group

TURKEY

The timetable for the privatisation of Turkey's lottery operator Milli Piyango is to be delayed for at least one month in order to allow bidders more time to prepare offers, according to press reports.

UNITED KINGDOM

A report commissioned by the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) has left open the possibility of the UK's bookmakers seeing income from fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) included in final calculations for the levy to racing. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

UNITED KINGDOM

The future of the British Casino Association (BCA) is in doubt after Rank, owner of the Grosvenor Casino chain, followed the example of Gala Coral and withdrew its membership citing cost issues. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

UNITED KINGDOM

The UK gaming industry will work to keep voluntary contributions to fund the research, education and treatment of problem gambling despite Government plans to introduce compulsory payments. Source GamblingCompliance.com

UNITED STATES

The US Department of Justice has defied claims of discrimination by the European Commission and European online gambling operators by charging Anurag Dikshit, co-founder of PartyGaming, the UK-based company, for the violation of online betting laws. Mr. Dikshit made a guilty plea and faces sanctions of $300 million (€214 million), as well as two years in prison and one year of supervised release. Source: Euromat

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