WEBMASTER WORLD
private operators. Bingo, lottery and
horse race betting (fixed odds only) are
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 the requisite
licence. Following a government
announcement earlier this year,
Denmark has submitted draft legislation
to the EC which aims to open up online
bingo and horse race betting markets
to private operators. The standstill
period ends on 2 June 2017.
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: Operators seeking to accept
business from players in Estonia must
be issued an activity licence for the type
of gambling they wish to offer, then an
operating permit to provide the services
remotely. A blacklist of around 1,100
operators is maintained and updated by
local authorities and ISP and payment
blocking is in force.
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, Raha-
automaatiyhdistys (“RAY”), Fintoto
Oy and Veikkaus Oy. The monopolies
merged into one state entity as of
1 January 2017.
Status: An ECJ ruling confirmed that
Finland’s three monopoly providers
are legally permitted, which was
subsequently written into law. In
November 2013, the EC also withdrew
infringement proceedings. Active
enforcement measures are in place
(restrictive marketing for offshore
operators and ISP blocking).
FRANCE
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, poker,
bingo and lottery.
Operator Type: Private operators
can obtain online licences for sports
betting, horse race betting and poker.
The monopoly has exclusive rights to
bingo and lottery.
Status: A regulated market since the
introduction of a licensing regime
in 2010, following which the EC
withdrew its infringement proceedings.
Parliament announced a full review of
French gambling legislation in 2016,
although little progress has been made
to date except for changes to allow
for international poker liquidity and
provisions relating to the organisation
of esports tournaments.
GERMANY
Regulated Gambling Products:
Schleswig-Holstein, a small Northern
German state, regulates sports betting,
horse race betting, poker, casino and
bingo. The other 15 states of Germany
currently only permit sports betting
and horse race betting.
Operator Type: Private operators
can no longer obtain licences in
Schleswig-Holstein, and those in
existence will expire on 30 June 2019.
In the other 15 states, horse race betting
licences are available at a regional
level but the position surrounding
the 20 available sports betting licences
is still uncertain.
Status: The licensing regime in
Germany is in a state of flux.
The tender for 20 Federal sports
betting licences was abortive,
following a number of appeals by
operators who were not granted a
licence. The CJEU ruled in 2016
that Germany’s sports betting
regulation is incompatible with EU
law and that enforcement actions will
be unlawful where none of the
20 licences could, in practice, be
acquired. The decision led to calls
for comprehensive legal reform of
Germany’s gambling legislation.
In March 2017, all 16 German states
signed amendments to the country’s
gambling law which will allow for
an unlimited number of sports betting
licences, although the ban on online
casinos will be upheld. The decision
to only make minimal amendments
has drawn widespread criticism,
particularly from the EC. Amendments
are scheduled to enter into force on
1 January 2018.
GREAT BRITAIN
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, 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: Any operator that transacts
with, or advertises to, British residents
requires a licence from the Gambling
Commission. Licensed operators are
required to source gambling software
from Commission-licensed businesses.
A corresponding tax rate of 15% of
gross profits was introduced on
1 December 2014. This is subject to
an ongoing judicial review by a
Gibraltar trade association and its
questions regarding its compatibility
with European law. On 5 December
2016, the UK government announced
that the first use of free-plays for
remote gaming will be taxed and
winnings will be brought into the
duty calculation at the e nd of the
rewagering process. The changes are
set to be included in the Finance Bill
2017 and are due to take effect on
1 August 2017.
GREECE
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, 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, with all products permitted.
iGB Affiliate Issue 63 JUN/JUL 2017
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