have passed laws to open a licensing system to private operators to offer online table games in their states ). STATUS : The primary legislation on gambling in Germany is the 4th Interstate Treaty on Gambling , which entered into effect on 1 July 2021 . A number of licences have now been granted to operators under the licensing regimes introduced by the 4th Interstate Treaty on Gambling ( as set out in the ‘ Whitelist ’ of operators maintained on the website of the regulator – the Joint Gambling Authority of the States ( GGL ). The GGL assumed full responsibility as the gambling regulator on 1 January 2023 .
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 ( GC ). Licensed operators are required to source gambling software from GC-licensed businesses . In 2020 , the government launched a review into the current gambling legislation in Great Britain . Its proposals for reform were published in a white paper in April 2023 . Proposals include , for example , the introduction of : ( i ) prescriptive rules on when online operators must check customers ’ financial circumstances ; ( ii ) stake limits for online slots ; ( iii ) further rules on online products to ensure they are ‘ safe by design ’; ( iv ) improvements to ‘ playercentric ’ tools ; and ( v ) a new ombudsman to deal with disputes . The majority of the governments proposals will be subject to further consultation . . In July 2023 , a series of consultation papers were published in relation to , for example : ( i ) maximum stake limits for online slots ; ( ii ) remote game design ; and ( iii ) financial vulnerability and financial risk checks . These consultations
have now closed . In October 2023 , the government published a consultation on the introduction of a statutory levy on gambling operators which closed on 14 December 2023 . Whilst the industry awaits responses to the closed consultations , the GC published further consultation papers in November 2023 in relation to ( i ) improvements to player protection tools and ( ii ) social responsibility around player incentives . The consultation period closes on 21 February 2024 . On 15 December 2023 the GC published a consultation on changes in relation to financial penalties and financial key event reporting which closes on 15 March 2024 .
GREECE REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Sports betting , horse race betting , poker , casino , bingo and lottery . OPERATOR TYPE : Under the permanent licensing regime , two ‘ Types ’ of licences are available to private operators : ( i ) Type 1 for online betting ; and ( ii ) Type 2 for other online games ( includes poker and casino games ). Certain entities which were previously state-owned have the exclusive right to offer bingo , lottery and pari-mutual betting or fixed-odds betting on horse racing . STATUS : In 2012 , a ‘ transition period ’ commenced , whereby the Greek government granted 24 transitional licences to operators , enabling them to provide services to Greek residents . Legislation , which introduced an open licensing regime for online betting and “ other online games ”, including casino and poker , entered into force in 2019 . However , the regulations implementing the new legal regime were not published until August 2020 and it wasn ’ t until July 2021 that the permanent licensed market launched .
HUNGARY REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Sports betting , horse race betting , poker , casino , bingo and lottery . OPERATOR TYPE : The state-owned
operator Szerencsejáték Zrt has the exclusive right to offer lottery products , while concessions to operate online casino may only be granted to operators that already hold a Hungarian land-based concession . EEA-based gambling operators may apply for an online betting licence . STATUS : Amendments to Hungarian gambling law came into force on 1 October 2015 and allow only two land-based casinos to hold remote casino concessions . The regulator has since issued fines , a number of which have been challenged , against unlicensed operators that continue to target the market . In June 2017 , the ECJ determined Hungary ’ s gambling regime to be incompatible with Article 56 TFEU . A subsequent ECJ decision in February 2018 ruled against the Hungarian requirement that online gambling operators must have a land-based licence to offer online gambling services to Hungarian citizens , further strengthening arguments that the regime is incompatible with EU law . However , it should be noted that on 1 January 2023 , further amendments to Hungary ’ s gambling legislation entered into force so as to introduce a licensing regime that allows eligible EEA-based gambling operators to apply for an online betting licence ( though it is understood that applicants are required to establish a local branch in Hungary ). On 1 July 2023 , payment blocking provisions introduced by the amendments entered into force .
IRELAND REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Online betting has been regulated since 2015 . Online gaming is not specifically accounted for in Ireland ’ s outdated legislation and as such is currently unregulated . OPERATOR TYPE : Private operators can apply for a betting licence . STATUS : Ireland has contemplated updating its legislation , which will create a comprehensive igaming regime , for some time . Interim reform measures intended to modernise the regulation of gambling
iGB AFFILIATE LONDON 2024 • ISSUE 94 • 111