WEBMASTER WORLD
PORTUGAL SLOVAKIA
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, poker,
casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator Type: Any EU/EEA
operator can apply to be granted a
licence for online gambling. Lottery
games and land-based fixed odds sports
betting remain reserved for a monopoly.
Status: A regulated market since
2015. While operators can now apply
for licences, their Portuguese revenue
streams will be subject to comparatively
high tax rates, particularly sports
betting, subject to an 8-16% tax on
turnover. In 2015, the RGA filed a
state aid case with the EC challenging
the Portuguese betting tax as breaking
EU trade rules. Delayed technical
standards were introduced in
December 2016, paving the way for
operators to certify their online systems
to obtain a licence. The regulator is
known to have granted six licences. Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, poker,
casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator Type: All products are
operated by the monopoly save that
land-based sports betting operators
can offer services online due to
a legal loophole.
Status: In November 2016, a bill
amending the existing gambling
legal framework was approved.
The amendments, which entered
into force on 1 January 2017, include
the introduction of ISP and payment
blocking of illegal online gambling
offerings in the Slovak territory.
The supervisory function in respect
of ISP and payment blocking measures
will not be active until July 2017.
Whether amendments will also be
made to introduce a formal licensing
system remains unclear.
ROMANIA
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, casino,
bingo and lottery.
Operator Type: Any operator from
an EU/EEA jurisdiction or the Swiss
Confederation can apply for a licence.
Lottery games remain reserved for
the monopoly.
Status: The Romanian government
passed legislation at the end of 2014
that allows entities within the EU
to apply for a licence, imposes a reform
on licence fees and eliminates many
(but not all) of the tax burdens placed
on player revenues. The Gambling
Law (as amended) introduced a legal
framework for a fully regulated online
gambling market, and requires licences
to be held by online gambling operators,
as well as software providers, payment
processors, affiliates and testing labs.
After some delay, the secondary
legislation which fully implemented
the new licensing regime came into
force on 26 February 2016.
The National Office for Gambling
in Romania published a blacklist
of unlicensed gambling operators
in July 2015.
SLOVENIA
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, poker,
casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator Type: Online gambling
must be operated by land-based
casinos or lotteries and, as a result,
only the monopoly holds online
licences in Slovenia.
Status: The Finance Ministry notified
secondary regulations for the operation
of online gambling services to the EC
on 17 August 2016. The proposals
would remove the cap on the number
of licences and the requirement for a
local establishment, although sports
betting would remain as a monopoly.
In June 2015, 10 new licences were
awarded, the first since the market
opened in 2012. Also 25 online slot
permits were issued to new and
existing operators. This followed the
approval of the regulation of slots and
betting exchanges.
SWEDEN
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, poker, bingo
and lottery.
Operator Type: Only public benefit
organisations, the horse racing industry
and the state lottery may obtain a
licence. No licences are available for
private operators.
Status: The Swedish government is
under pressure to update its regulations
following the commencement of
infringement proceedings by the EC.
On 31 March 2017, the government
published its long-awaited report on
the re-regulation of the online gambling
market, which includes a proposal to
introduce a licensing regime which
will allow private operators to obtain
a local licence. The report is seen to
be a key driver behind draft legislation
to be published later this year, with a
licensing regime not likely to emerge
before 2019. In the interim, a bill
that sets out to strengthen the position
of gambling monopolies has been
submitted to parliament.
SPAIN
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports
betting, horse race betting, casino,
poker, bingo and lottery.
Operator Type: Private operators
can apply for licences for all gambling
products save for lottery.
Status: The first online licences
were issued on 1 June 2012.
Under the law, operators must
hold a general licence and a specific
licence for each activity from the
National Gambling Commission.
Wiggin is a law firm dedicated to supporting the media,
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iGB Affiliate Issue 63 JUN/JUL 2017
75