Status: The enabling regulations
that implement a Greek online
gambling licensing regime are yet to
be implemented. In 2012, a “transition
period” commenced whereby the Greek
government granted 24 transitional
licences to operators, enabling them to
keep transacting with Greek residents.
The fate of the 24 licences is still
unclear, although a continued delay
to the implementation of the
legislation has led to the EC sending
a letter of enquiry to the Greek
authorities at the beginning of 2017
to question the lack of development
in the remote gambling sector.
HUNGARY
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, poker,
casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator Type: Only the state
monopolies (Szerencsejáték Zrt. and
Magyar Lóversenyfogadást-SzervezőKft)
and local concession companies can
apply for a licence.
Status: Amendments to Hungarian
gambling law came into force on
1 October 2015 which allow only
two land-based casinos to hold remote
casino concessions. The regulator has
since issued fines against unlicensed
operators who continue to target the
market. ISP blocking of unlicensed
sites has occurred since June 2014.
The potential for EC infringement
proceedings remains.
IRELAND
Regulated Gambling Products:
Online gaming is not specifically
accounted for in Ireland’s outdated
legislation and as such is currently
unregulated. Online betting has been
regulated since August 2015.
Status: Updating its legislation,
which will create a comprehensive
igaming regime and payment
restrictions. More substantive
developments are expected in 2017.
The Betting (Amendment) Act 2015
now requires remote bookmakers
to hold a licence, and pay a 1%
turnover-based duty.
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ITALY
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, poker,
casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator Type: All products 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: Fully regulated market.
A recently passed Stability Law
introduces various measures affecting
the remote gambling industry,
including tax changes and plans
for tighter advertising rules. The law
will provide for the award of 120 new
online gaming licences (lasting for
six years). The tender process for
the award of the licences has been
delayed since mid-2016.
LUXEMBOURG
Regulated Gambling Products: Lottery.
Operator Type: Monopoly.
Status: The general prohibition on
gambling appears sufficiently wide to
cover all forms of online gambling.
MALTA
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, poker,
casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator Type: Private operators
can apply for a local licence (save for
lottery products).
Status: Malta recently introduced the
Skill Games Regulations 2016, which
established a regulatory framework
for skill games for prizes. The new
legislation forms part of Malta’s plans
to modernise online gambling rules,
with further amendments to Malta’s
gambling laws expected throughout
the course of 2017.
NETHERLANDS
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, poker,
casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator Type: Monopoly for
all products.
Status: After two years of
parliamentary debate, the Dutch
Lower House approved the Online
Gambling Bill, which will introduce
an online gambling licensing regime
in the Netherlands. The legislation
will impose a 29% GGR tax on both
online and land-based operators.
The Bill still requires approval from
the Senate and licensing is not
expected to commence until at least
2019. In the interim, the regulator
continues to implement enforcement
measures against those operators
targeting Dutch players.
NORWAY
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting and lottery.
Operator Type: Online gambling is
reserved for its two monopoly providers:
Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto.
Status: The monopoly has extended its
offering to include live betting, online
bingo and casino games in an attempt
to redirect traffic from unlicensed sites.
The government published a long-
awaited white paper on how best to
regulate the gambling sector in March
2017 which proposes that the gambling
monopoly remain in place and no
licensing system be introduced.
POLAND
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, casino
and poker.
Operator Type: Betting licences
are available for companies with a
representative in Poland. Casino and
poker are reserved for a state monopoly.
Status: Legislation enacted 1 January
2012 permits betting and there are
currently only five licensed operators
in Poland (Fortuna, Milenium, STS,
E-Toto and Totolotek). Following the
approval of various amendments to
the Gambling Act in December 2016,
online gaming (including poker) is no
longer prohibited as of 1 April 2017,
although the exclusive rights to offer
such products are reserved to a state
monopoly. Provisions that provide for the
establishment of a blacklist of unlicensed
operators and the introduction of ISP
and payment blocking are due to enter
into force on 1 July 2017.