M ONT H I N M I NUT ES
RIGHT TO
MONTH IN NUMB3RS
Lobby groups call on EC to safeguard noti?cations
> The Remote Gambling Association (RGA) and the European Gaming and Betting Association
700+
number of attendees at the 2012 eGaming Review Operator Awards Find out
who the winners were on p70
The Remote Gambling Association (RGA) and the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) have ?led a complaint with the European Commission regarding the non-noti?cation of regulations that will extend OPAP’s monopoly on online gambling and impose harsh enforcement measures while the compliance of the new law with EU law remains in question. The EGBA and RGA, which between them represent the majority of the largest European remote gambling operators, are concerned the Greek Government has failed to begin licensing online gambling operators. This was a central measure of the new gambling law passed in August 2011. The Greek Government has decided to grant OPAP, the incumbent monopoly gambling operator for offline games, an extension of its licence for 10 more years from 2020 to 2030 and also to extend the monopoly to include online gambling. This process has shown a disdain for EU law and has been wholly nontransparent. The failure to notify the Commission under directive 98/34/EC re?ects that. The regulations introduce enforcement measures including ISP and payment blocking, ?nes on banks and internet providers who facilitate gambling and ?nes on operators who have not been granted a licence. According to Sigrid Ligné, Secretary General of EGBA: “Commissioner Barnier recently con?rmed he would take his responsibilities seriously in ensuring the compliance of Member States’ gambling legislation with EU law. We trust the Commissioner will urgently investigate our complaint and take action accordingly against Greece.”
2.6 %
percentage of world’s population estimated to play gamblingorientated social games Read this
month’s column from Social Gaming Association director Stuart Tilly on p57
£341,259
biggest ever mobile gambling payout, awarded by William Hill in December
Read our Q&A with the operator’s head of mobile Jürgen Reutter on p11
“We did that acquisition without £341,259 the mindset of the US, we justi?ed that acquisition based on its European potential alone. The US is an added bonus”
Amaya Gaming CEO David Baazov – read our interview on p62
11
number of years spent in egaming industry by bwin. party co-CEO Jim Ryan, who announced he is to retire on 15 January See our
retrospective on p24
MOBILE
FAMILY TREE
OPERATOR PROBABILITY’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS
12
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