BELGIUM

In spite of a formal letter sent by the European Commission, criticising the proposed law on online gambling in Belgium, the Belgian Parliament has already adopted the law without making any amendments and has passed it on to the Senate for further approval. It is expected that the Senate will, by 26 October 2009, introduce changes reflecting the European Commission's comments on the draft law.

Source: Euromat

BULGARIA

The Bulgarian government has raised fears that huge amounts of cash are flowing out of the country because of residents playing illegal internet gambling sites.

Source: GamblingCompliance.com

CROATIA

A boom in tourism, fuelled by the arrival in the country of low-cost airlines Ryanair and Easyjet, has steadily increased casino attendance in Croatia since 2006. Massive international investment in Croatia's seaside resort destinations has led the region to be dubbed the "new Riviera". In order to profit from this boon, the government has introduced new measures to increase gaming taxes significantly by the end of 2009.

Source: GamblingCompliance.com

CZECH REPUBLIC

An overhaul of the Czech Republic's outdated gambling legislation is on the cards, with the government under pressure to respond to the challenge of online gaming and bring the existing licensing regime in line with EU standards.  However with the Czech government in turmoil, the reform process may be significantly delayed. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

DENMARK

The Danish government is set to propose new legislation to the European Commission that would open the national gaming market to competition from private and foreign operators. Currently, Danske Spil, the gaming monopoly, earns around 11 billion kroner (€134 million) per year. New operators on the Danish market would have to purchase a state licence and would also pay a tax on 15-20% of gaming revenue. Source: Euromat

FRANCE

Comments by the head of the Sports unit in the European Commission's DG Education and Culture, Michal Krejza, appearing to approve the plan by the French government requiring sports betting operators to get permission to bet from sports event organisers, contradict the detailed opinion by the European Commission on the French draft online gambling law. It is expected that compromise on a less restrictive version of the draft law will be reached in the coming weeks, although agreement in the French Parliament is not expected until September 2009. Source: Euromat

GERMANY

The Bavarian Administrative Court has recently published a ruling against online gaming operator bwin, barring the company from offering its sports betting services via the Internet and from marketing such services, opening the way for immediate enforcement of previous prohibition notices. GamblingIntelligence.com

GERMANY

Challengers to Germany's Interstate Gambling Treaty are running out of options in the country's domestic court system, legal observers warn, as state gaming authorities continue to take steps to lock out foreign online gaming firms ahead of crucial European Court of Justice (ECJ) cases due to be heard next year. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

INDIA

Casinos Austria International is mulling its withdrawal from India's principal regulated casino market after authorities in Goa last week moved to suspend the majority of riverboat gaming operations in the state. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

ITALY

Details of the bid process for Italy's controversial scratchcard tender were published in the EU Official Gazette on August 17. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

ITALY

Regulatory upheaval and a decline in betting on horseracing are among the factors that have seen UK operator Ladbrokes put its €90m investment in the Italian betting market on the blocks. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

JERSEY

The cost of bookmaker licences and running lotteries and bingo on Jersey is to increase dramatically under new regulations being considered by the island's assembly. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

LATVIA

A plan to turn the Latvian capital Riga into a "mini Las Vegas" has been backed by gaming operators in the country - but with the warning that investment will have to come from elsewhere. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

NETHERLANDS

The UK government has denied reports that it is preparing to send a delegation to Holland to discuss the Dutch policy on online gambling amid indications that Barclays has now followed RBS in restricting payments emanating from the country. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

NORWAY

New legislation requiring payment providers to block payments to online gaming operators will reinforce the state monopoly. Draft regulations implementing blocking measures has recently received criticism from both within the country and abroad. The state's restrictive licensing regime has been the subject of numerous EFTA court challenges as EU-based gaming operators contend it contravenes Norway's obligations under the EEA Agreement. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

PANAMA

Panama's government is to hike local gaming taxes in response to the recent licensing scandal involving the country's former president and companies now owned by Spanish gambling group Cirsa. A local slot machine operator, now majority owned by Spanish gambling group Cirsa, has found itself in the eye of a political storm after media reports linked the company's shareholders to the former Panamanian president who liberalised the country's gambling market in the late 1990s. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

PORTUGAL

In the Bwin case against the Portuguese gaming monopoly, Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, the European Court of Justice has announced that the judgment, expected before the summer, will now not be released until autumn 2009, due to the delay in the opinion from the Advocate General, Yves Bot, in October (rather than September) 2009. Source: Euromat

ROMANIA

The Romanian government has notified the European Commission of its decision to apply the methodological guidelines for the Government emergency ordinance on the organisation and operation of gambling games. It has been stated that the older normative documents no longer match the more modern economic and technical realities in the gambling sector.

 Source: Euromat

RUSSIA

Having successfully outlawed land-based gambling outside of specific authorised zones within the country, Russian authorities are now focusing their attentions on the burgeoning online gambling sector, which has experienced a surge of interest from Russian citizens as a direct result of the country's clampdown on gambling.

Source GamblingIntelligence.com

SPAIN

The Spanish region of Valencia has informed the European Commission of its draft amendments to Decree 115/2006 on the rules for gaming machines. The new rules would adapt existing regulations to recently-modified gaming machines, in a response to constantly changing economic, social and technological innovations. The standstill period will last until 19 October 2009. Source: Euromat

SPAIN

European Court of Justice Advocate General Paolo Mengozzi released his opinion on the case taken by the European Commission against the lottery taxation regime of the Spanish government, which favours domestic games and charity lottery winnings over winnings from foreign games. The opinion considers that the tax exemptions act against consumer protection methods by encouraging increased spending on gambling. The official ECJ decision is expected in six months. Source: Euromat

SPAIN

The European Commission was notified of the draft amendments to Decree 23/2005 of the Spanish region of Cataluña, adopting the Regulation on leisure and gaming machines. The amendments seek to ensure that these machines are not discriminatory or degrading and that age restrictions on type B machines are highlighted. Further administrative procedures would allow gaming halls to introduce a greater number of machines. The standstill period for this notification ends on 28 September 2009. Source: Euromat

SWEDEN

The draft Swedish gambling laws, proposed in December 2008, have been opposed in a consultation process by the European private sector, Swedish communications and media groups and the Swedish football association, causing the Swedish government to redraft the original proposal. New measures like ISP and payments blocking could be viewed by the European Commission as violations of EU laws on competition and provision of services.
Contact Secretariat for further information.

Source: Euromat

UKRAINE

Senior officials warn that recent legislation banning most forms of gambling in Ukraine will also apply to online casinos - though lawyers question whether this would be the case where gaming sites are based outside the country. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

UNITED KINGDOM

In the wake of sustained confusion over the legal status of house lotteries, the UK Gambling Commission has invited comments on changes to their advice relating to prize competitions and free draws. Source: GamblingCompliance.com

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