Status: The gambling regulatory regime
is in a state of flux. There is uncertainty
as to whether the Schleswig-Holstein
licences give licensees rights to supply
customers throughout Germany and
the regulatory body responsible for
administering the 20 sportsbetting
licences (Ministry of the Interior in
Hesse) rejected all applications in
November 2013. How the regime will
materialise and the timescale for any
developments is still unclear at this time.
GREAT BRITAIN
Regulated gambling products:
Sportsbetting, horse race betting, poker,
casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: All licences are available
to private operators save for lottery,
which is reserved exclusively for the
monopoly provider, Camelot.
Status: Foreign operators can transact
with, and advertise to, British customers,
but only those regulated in the EEA
or a ‘white list’ jurisdiction (Alderney,
Isle of Man, Antigua and Barbuda, and
Tasmania). A move to a local licensing
model has been announced and is
expected to be implemented in May
2014, with a corresponding tax rate of 15
percent of gross profits.
GREECE
Regulated gambling products:
Sportsbetting, horse race betting and
lottery.
Operator type: All products are
exclusively reserved for the monopoly
providers although 24 transitional
licences for private operators remain
active, whereby all gambling products
are permitted.
Status: The licensing regime in Greece
is also in a state of flux. The Greek
government submitted a new draft law
to the European Commission
in March 2013, which effectively
rescinds the 24 transitional licences
granted to operators enabling them to
keep transacting with Greek residents.
The Commission has reportedly
82
iGB Affiliate FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014
criticised the revised legislation
and until the position is resolved,
the transitional licences will
remain in force.
HUNGARY
Regulated gambling products:
Sportsbetting, horse race betting, poker,
casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: Only the state monopoly,
Szerencsejáték Zrt. and local concession
companies can apply for a licence.
Status: In January 2013, the Hungarian
government submitted an amendment to
its Gambling Act which essentially
reserved gambling activities for the state
or local concession companies.
On June 26, 2013, the Hungarian
National Assembly adopted the draft
legislation, which entered into force 15
days after it was promulgated.
However, the executive order necessary
to implement the licensing regime has
not yet been introduced. ISPs have been
required to block any unlicensed sites as
of January 2, 2014.
IRELAND
Regulated gambling products: Online
gambling is not specifically accounted
for in Ireland’s outdated legislation
and as such all products are currently
unregulated.
Status: Ireland is in the process of
updating its legislation which will create
a comprehensive online gambling
regime and payment restrictions.
ITALY
Regulated gambling products:
Sportsbetting, horse race betting, poker,
casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: All products are available
to private operators save for lottery which
is reserved for the monopoly provider.
However, it is currently not possible to
obtain a licence in Italy.
Status: Italy is a fully regulated market.
Italy extended the number of betting
markets available to its residents last
year and it has been suggested that tax
for online fixed odds betting may change
from a turnover to a gross profits tax.
LATVIA
Regulated gambling products:
Sportsbetting, horse race betting, poker,
casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator type: Although online gambling
is regulated, only five operators are
licensed in the jurisdiction. Lottery is
reserved for state-owned Latvijas Loto.
Status: Updated legislation was
supposed to be implemented in January
2012 but parliament has extended
the submission period twice and
developments seem to have stalled.
The new legislation restricts the
provision of online gambling to
Latvian registered operators. Stricter
enforcement measures including ISP
and payment blocking are contained in
the draft bill together with higher tax
rates and fees.
LITHUANIA
Regulated gambling products: Lottery.
Operator type: Local or national
lottery licences are available for locally
established companies.
Status: Other than lottery, the law is
silent on whether or not gambling
activities can or cannot be offered
online. New legislation is in draft
form but requires licence holders to
set up a Lithuanian company and also
have a land-based licence with further
conditions (i.e. must operate in at least
one casino, five horse race betting
locations, ten slot machine parlours
or 20 betting parlours). Lithuania was
also the subject of further information
requests by the European Commission
in November 2013.
LUXEMBOURG
Regulated gambling products: Lottery.
Operator type: Monopoly.
Status: The general prohibition on
gambling in Luxembourg appears
sufficiently wide to cover all forms of
online gambling.