EUROPEAN REGULATION
In conjunction with Chris Elliott of Wiggin LLP, iGaming Business provides a regulatory snapshot of iGaming
markets across the EU. This includes regulated products and legalised operator types within each country, and
any impending market updates.
AUSTRIA
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, poker, casino,
bingo and lottery.
Operator Type: Licences for sports betting
and horse race betting are available for
private operators on a regional basis within
Austria whereas poker, casino, bingo and
lottery are controlled by the monopoly,
Austria Lotteries.
Status: A recent appeal challenging
Austrian tax legislation is seen as a test
case by other offshore operators targeting
Austrian business. The Member State
has proposed changes to its regulations
(notably a ban on in-play betting) to help
curb match fixing, measures which the
Austrian Bookmakers Association has
agreed to implement.
The Austrian government recently put
forward a proposal to block unlicensed
offshore operators targeting the country,
although next steps are unclear.
BELGIUM
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, poker, casino,
bingo and lottery.
Operator Type: All products are
available to private operators save for
lotteries, which are reserved exclusively
for the monopoly provider. However,
online operators need to partner up
with local casinos in order to satisfy the
land-based establishment requirement;
or alternatively, apply for one of the 34
retail licences (F1 licences) which can be
extended to cover online (F1+ licence).
Status: The new Belgian government has
published a coalition agreement which
proposes to increase the number of landbased casinos from 9 to 11. Accordingly,
this will allow online operators to team
up with the new casinos to offer casino
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products online.
Further restrictions and a tightening
of the legal framework is also proposed,
with three decrees having been notified to
the EC. The regulator recently introduced
rules to prevent live casino products being
offered to players unless the dealers are
physically in Belgium. It is uncertain if the
proposed changes will be implemented this
year. The potential for EC infringement
proceedings remains.
The Belgian Gaming Commission
recently announced its decision to suspend
virtual sports from 1 June, as well as
proposals to introduce new advertising
restrictions.
BULGARIA
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, poker, casino,
bingo and lottery (excluding raffles and
instant lottery games).
Operator Type: All products are
available to private operators save for
lotteries, which are reserved exclusively
for the monopoly provider.
Status: Bulgaria’s Gambling Act
became law on 1 July 2012 but licences
were not available until mid-2013
as further implementing legislation
needed to be in force. Any operator
from an EU/EEA jurisdiction or the
Swiss Confederation can apply for a
licence. The Bulgarian regulator has
subsequently issued licences, including to
a number of international operators, and
recently announced plans to remove the
restriction on Gibraltar-based applicants.
The change from a turnover to a GGR
tax-based system has prompted a number
of operators to apply for a local licence.
CROATIA
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, poker, casino,
bingo and lottery.
Operator Type: All products are
available to private operators save for
lotteries, which are reserved exclusively
for the monopoly provider.
Status: Following Croatia’s accession to
the EU in July 2013, it was understood
it would submit new legislation which
was compatible with European law.
However, on 5 March 2014 the Croatian
government notified a draft bill which
seeks to embolden the position of the
monopoly and local operators. Only
land-based casinos and betting operators
can apply for a licence pursuant to the
draft bill. ISP blocking is also proposed.
The receipt of a Detailed Opinion from
the EC stalled the legislative process and
there have been no developments since.
CYPRUS
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting and lottery.
Operator Type: OPAP have a monopoly
over lottery operations and only sports
betting licences are available to private
operators.
Status: Cyprus regulated online betting
in July 2012. The government published
a blacklist and warned local ISP
providers that they would face fines for
failures to block sites offering unlicensed
gambling products. Moves in late 2013 to
update the laws further have not resulted
in any substantial changes.
CZECH REPUBLIC
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse racing betting and lottery.
Operator Type: Online gaming is not
expressly regulated but a limited number
of local licences are available for Czech
companies with Czech share ownership.