WEBMASTER WORLD
which creates a local licensing regime
for all gambling activities together with
stringent enforcement measures for any
unlicensed operators. New gambling
legislation is expected to be submitted to
the Czech Parliament imminently, but the
government now believes the long-awaited
reform could be delayed until 2017.
DENMARK
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, poker, casino,
bingo and lottery.
Operator Type: Sports betting, poker and
casino licences are available to private
operators. Bingo, lottery and horse race
betting (fixed odds only) is controlled by
the state monopoly.
Status: The Danish online gambling
regime went live on 1 January 2012.
ISP blocking measures are active in
the jurisdiction and the Danish Gaming
Authority has been granted an injunction
in order to block operators and suppliers
that have been targeting Danish customers
without a the requisite licence. More
stringent payment protection measures
were also introduced on 1 September 2014.
The ECJ ruled in September that taxing
online casinos less than land-based casinos
did not amount to state aid.
ESTONIA
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, poker, casino,
bingo and lottery.
Operator Type: Licences for all gambling
products are available for private operators
save that the monopoly has exclusive rights
to lottery.
Status: Only 18 operators are currently
licensed in the jurisdiction, 9 of which
relate to online gambling. A “blacklist”
of over 800 operators is constantly
maintained and updated by local
authorities and ISP blocking is in force. It
is understood the Estonian government is
intending to require players to set weekly
or monthly limits before gambling online,
a development which could occur this year.
The draft law containing player protection
measures for online gambling is scheduled
to come into force in June 2015.
FINLAND
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, poker, casino,
bingo and lottery.
Operator Type: All gambling products
are under the exclusive control of
the three monopoly providers, Rahaautomaatiyhdistys (“RAY”), Fintoto Oy
and Veikkaus Oy.
Status: Ruling from the ECJ confirmed
that Finland’s three monopoly providers
are legally permitted which has
subsequently been written into law. In
November 2013, the EC also withdrew
its infringement proceedings against the
Member State.
Active enforcement measures are in
place (restrictive marketing for offshore
operators and ISP blocking).
FRANCE
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, poker and
lottery.
Operator Type: Private operators can
obtain online licences for sports betting,
horse race betting and poker. The
monopoly has exclusive rights to lottery.
Status: France is a regulated market that
has been sanctioned by the EC.
On 13 February 2014, French
Members of Parliament introduced a
bill which amends several provisions
of the French Consumer Code. The
amendments expand ѡ