While the United States has been unable or unwilling to broach the regulation of the online gaming world, Europe has – in some cases – ventured into that area. Countries such as England and Ireland have introduced regulation of the online poker and gaming worlds with a great deal of success. Others, however, have attempted to nationalize this industry rather than welcome worldwide competition. A recent decision by the European Parliament demonstrates how divisive the issue has become.
According to a report from the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) on Tuesday, the European Parliament – which is part of a bicameral legislative body, along with the Council of the European Union, and is the only elected body that leads the EU – has introduced a resolution that looks at “the integrity of online gambling.” In this resolution, there are many issues that are brought to light but there is conflict among the officials in an alternative report that was presented.
The majority report resolution that was adopted by the European Parliament states that the European Commission should “carry out studies and make appropriate proposals” regarding online gaming while insisting at the same time on “the Member States’ right to regulate (the online gaming sector) in accordance with their traditions and cultures”. The minority report, which is backed by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) representing nine of the Member States and the three main European political parties, looks to approach online gaming and betting in a more practical way. It wants to recognize the cross-border nature of the industry and take into consideration both the challenges and opportunities offered in this area by Internet technology.
What this means is that, according to the EGBA, that there will be no agreement in the near future for the European Union to coordinate the world of online gaming and poker. The Secretary General of the EGBA, Sigrid Ligné, admitted this when she said, “Today’s vote shows that we cannot expect an EU harmonized legislation to be adopted in the near future. It clearly means that it is the rules of the Treaty and the case law of the Court of Justice that continue to apply and that will prevail for our sector in the years to come”.
Since the mid-point of this decade, the European Union has wrestled over the questions that continue to plague the online gaming and poker industry. While regulation has been accepted in some countries, other countries have attempted to nationalize the operations for the benefit of their own countries and prevent the freedom of trade in online gaming. France, Sweden, Germany, Denmark and Spain have been the major players in this nationalization effort, but some of those countries have changed their minds in the face of potential penalties or restrictions by the European Union through the Treaty of Commerce that all member nations have signed.
Recently, France announced that they would begin accepting applications for companies to legally accept French action in 2010; Sweden will start the same program next year, while Spain has already implemented a regulatory agency. Until all nations of the European Union can come to an agreement, there will still be stormy conditions for the online gaming and poker worlds in the future.
