eGaming Review August 2012 | Page 3

EDITORIAL TEAM Editor James Bennett T: [phone] E: [email protected] Senior reporter Tom Washington T: [phone] E: [email protected] Reporter Tom Victor T: [phone] E: [email protected] Reporter Robin Harrison Millan T: [phone] E: [email protected] PRODUCTION Production editor Claudia Honerjager E: [email protected] Art editor Toni Giddings E: [email protected] Sub-editors Rachel Kurz?eld Eleanor Stanley COMMERCIAL Commercial manager Ben Robinson T: [phone] E: [email protected] Publishing executive Sam Compagnoni T: [phone] E: [email protected] Publishing executive Debbie Robson T: [phone] E: [email protected] Publishing executive Jonathan Vintner T: [phone] E: [email protected] Editorial director Gwyn Roberts Chief executive Charlie Kerr Circulation manager Fay Muddle Subscriptions Emmanuel Nettey T: [phone] E: [email protected] Jeff Molina Diaz T: [phone] E: [email protected] Product Reviewer Catriona Campbell E: [email protected] Reviews were carried out by Catriona Campbell at Foviance, a customer experience consultancy that has worked across a wide range of online gaming products areas and helps companies understand online customer behaviours. [E D I T O R ' S LETTER ] Industry news may have slowed during the summer months but the momentum behind an increasing number of newly regulated European markets is gathering pace. In this month’s issue (p32) we examine seven of the continent’s arguably smaller nations that have patiently watched their larger counterparts ringfence and tax – with varying degrees of success – their own egaming markets since 2007. In the years ahead, the patchwork of dot.country markets will inevitably spread with Belgium cautiously handing out licences at the same time as clamping down on “blacklisted” sites, while Bulgaria, the Netherlands and Sweden will not be far behind. The one we’re all waiting for is Greece. According to H2 (p20), before the ?nancial crisis in 2008 and the recent last-ditch Eurozone bailout agreement, the Greek gambling market occupied sixth spot in EU gross win, ahead of the Netherlands and Sweden, but since its implosion and virtual bankruptcy it has now slipped back to eighth. That aside, should it stick to its word and open up all products it could prove lucrative for some of the larger operators that will be able to soak up the proposed 30% gross pro?ts tax. The momentum may be there, but the issue remains that no market model or tax rate is the same and European harmonisation appears further away than ever before. With large parts of the Eurozone struggling to make ends meet, smaller nations and those most desperate to plug gaping budget de?cits will push through regulation faster than others. The one wish the industry has is that those regulating ?nally come to the realisation that higher tax rates do not necessarily generate more revenue. I can safely say, however, they will not listen. James Bennett EDITOR eGaming Review is published monthly by Pageant Media, 1 East Poultry Avenue London, EC1A 9PT ISSN 1742-2450 Printed by The Manson Group © 2012 all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used without the prior permission from the publisher 03