Pressure grows for common EU betting rules

Commission to hold talks with national regulators.

The European Commission is to hold talks on Monday (27 February) with national gambling regulators as pressure grows on the EU to introduce harmonised rules on online betting across all member states.

Officials will discuss issues that could be included in an action plan which Michel Barnier, the European commissioner for the internal market, is expected to publish later this year.

Barnier is determined to bring clarity to the rules on gambling, to take account of the transformation of the sector because of the rise of the internet. But he faces fierce resistance from some EU member states that want to protect their domestic betting monopolies from online competitors.

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There is no EU legislation specifically on the online gambling industry, which  generated €8.5 billion in earnings in the EU in 2010.

Co-operation

Monday’s meeting will gauge national regulators’ willingness to co-operate in developing common rules, following a Commission consultation on the subject last spring.

Sigrid Ligné, the secretary-general of the European Gaming and Betting Association, said she had “high expectations” about the outcome of the meeting and called for EU-level rules to ensure fair licensing rules for gambling companies.

“We have high hopes that rapid progress can and will be made through better co-operation and the development of common EU rules,” she said.