Europe Online Gambling Regulation Update

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Spain and Greece have been in the news this week in connection with online gambling regulation. The Spanish government has approved a draft act but the Greek are yet only talking.

The progress on the regulation of gambling in Spain has been described as excruciatingly slow. But finally the Council of Ministers has approved a draft of the new Gambling Act. According to Spanish Gaming News the proposed act will regulate all forms of gambling with special emphasis on online, interactive television and mobile gambling. As expected the proposed legislation focuses on protection of gamblers from unscrupulous operators, barring under age and problem gamblers and preventing gambling from being used as money laundering. There is also a proposal to issue five year licenses to operators and tax gambling revenue.

Announcing the legislation, Elena Salgado, Second Vice President and Minister of Economy and Finance, said, "This is the beginning of a project that will be followed by a time of discussion [... with] state governments, as well as with interested parties and trade associations." One of the concerns in Spain is the treatment of gambling in the autonomous provincial communities. However, the Minister of Finance pointed out that there is a need of a common regulatory federal framework. Hence the draft Gambling Act proposes setting up a national regulatory body like the present National Gaming Commission. The new body will have a large representation by the autonomous communities. Most of the tax collected will also be channeled to the autonomous communities concerned. Sacha Michaud, president of the Spanish internet sports betting association, commented that the proposal appeared to be a step in the right direction. He cautioned that the level of taxation should be kept reasonable for the regulated gambling proposal to work. Present conservative estimates for gambling tax revenues are GBP200 million a year.

Meanwhile in Greece George Christodoulakis, a senior finance ministry official supervising the regulation drive, reiterated the need to regulate and tax online gambling in the near future. He pointed out, "The propensity for gaming in Greece is among the highest in Europe and the world. This has to do with our temperament and culture … The only thing one can do is set rules." Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou confirmed that the government intends to establish a Gaming Commission to regulate the sector. He said, "We want a regulatory framework that is modern, compatible with European regulation, and that fortifies against illegal activity." He pointed out that presently the illegal gambling market, which excluded the state's OPAP monopoly, was worth GBP4 billion a year, with online gambling comprising at least half of that amount. Yet over the past many months there have been only statements of intent and no positive action.

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