EUROMAT News Bulletin

EU AFFAIRS

12/07/12 – The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has delivered its ruling in the "HIT and HIT LARIX" case concerning the refusal by Austrian authorities to grant two Slovenian land-based casinos authorisation to advertise in Austria. In its judgement, the CJEU concluded that Member States may prohibit the advertising of casinos located in another Member State when the protection for gamblers is not equivalent there. The CJEU pointed out that its position would, however, have been different and the legislation regarded as disproportionate, if it required the rules in the other Member State to be “identical” or if the rules were not directly related to the protection against the risks of gaming.

06/07/12 – The European Commission has given formal reply to a written question posed by MEP Christofer Fjellner (EPP, Sweden) regarding a number of critical observations that the Commission had made on the French gambling draft law notified in 2009. In its response, the Commission confirms that it is monitoring ongoing discussions in France on the online gambling legislation that entered into force in 2010. Furthermore, the Commission recalls that the responses to the Green Paper consultation have provided further detailed information, which will be taken into account by the Commission in assessing national legislation and in the preparation of the Communication on online gambling in the Internal Market that will be adopted this Autumn.

10/07/12 – The UK Gambling Commission and French online gaming regulator, ARJEL, have signed a bilateral agreement on cooperation and information exchange. A year ago ARJEL signed a similar agreement with the Italian gaming authority AAMS.

10/07/12 – The German “Monopolies Commission” has criticised the country’s new Interstate Treaty on Gambling, which entered into forced on 1 July. In a recent report, the Commission argues that the new regulations seem to be driven more by fiscal interests than social goals and could therefore result inefficient in fighting gambling additions. For example, the Commission indicates that the different treatment of private gaming machines and state casinos does not appear to be justifiable for this purpose. The report concludes that a fundamental review of the regulations is required. The Federal Government must now respond to this report within reasonable period of time.

06/07/12 – The Cypriot House of Representatives has unanimously approved new gaming legislation that regulates sports betting and prohibits online casino games and exchange betting. The new rules, which also foresee the creation of a new Gambling Board, exempt gaming company OPAP because it operates under a bilateral agreement between Greece and Cyprus.