EU Releases Gambling Green Paper

The long anticipated European Commission’s (EC) Green Paper on internet gambling has been publicized this week. It outlines the need for player protection, gambling related problems, scams and money laundering and the ramifications that local restrictions might have on free services within the EU.

Basically the EC uses the Green Paper as a vehicle to harvest all the necessary information pertaining to the internet gambling industry and in accordance with facts garnered will then impose the mandatory legislation. Many internet casinos see this policy in a positive light and as a step in the right direction. However, there are those within the EU who don’t share the same sentiment with regard to this train of thought, in affect it might hamper the progress of internet gambling.

If one has a look at the bigger picture there might be a “silver lining on the horizon”, although no quick fix for those who are not in favour of local state monopolies, who hope for an equal playing-ground all over Europe. At the end of the day, if the EC wants the approval and cooperation of member states it needs to address monopoly issues and find lasting solutions concerning gambling related problems.

The Green Paper’s sole function is to expose internet gambling issues such as “player protection” and to bring certain issues to the fore: the French market has been an area of concern recently; impacting negatively on non-European internet casinos not in line with UK policies.

Seen from the above mentioned perspective and taking into consideration consumer/societal needs will favour business-related concerns, maybe the Green Paper is not as bad as it seems. Unfortunately, when it comes to imposing new legislation everything takes time.

Third party websites hosting advertising must carry on with its intricate and unproductive policies and processes for gambling ad acceptance, as well as geo-location target. Various organizations such as Sports teams and legislative bodies will struggle to obtain finance from the gambling industry. In conclusion, operators within the EU hope for free trade and view it as a long-standing goal, not a constitutional right.