European Parliament Debates Rules on Online Gambling and Betting Sports

European Parliament Debates Rules on Online Gambling and Betting Sports

The European Parliament must consider whether online sports betting is better handled at the national or union level.
The legislative branch of the European Union government is striving to reach agreement on online sports gambling. The European Parliament must consider whether online sports betting is better handled at the national or union level.

Recently, members discussed a report by a Danish MEP (Member of European Parliament). The study claimed Internet sports wagering is highly dangerous to adolescents and problem gamblers, leads to match fixing, and should continue to be controlled at the national level.

However, Clive Hawkswood of the Remote Gaming Association said many of the conclusions were unsupported and that the report was advanced by vested interests seeking to keep certain markets closed to competition. He says that a separate report, commission by the Parliament, had drastically different results.

“The serious claims in this Resolution are highly detrimental to European-licensed operators, which already comply with stringent legislation and high standards of consumer protection and social responsibility. Moreover, it blindly ignores the findings of the Parliament’s own study, prepared by Europe Economics which demonstrates the lack of evidence to support many of these arguments.”

The RGA says that the actual experiences in those countries already allowing private and competitive access to online gambling markets demonstrates the falsehoods in the Danish resolution. Some members feel that the ten EU nations facing charges of infringement are politically influencing the evidence presented.

Hawkswood says the meetings have turned out to be a sham to protect national markets rather than guard the integrity of online gambling.


European Parliament Debates Rules on Online Gambling and Betting Sports