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REGULATION
in entered into effect on 1 December 2020 . Draft legislation published in April 2021 which , if passed , would restrict most forms of gambling advertising , progressed to committee stage in March 2022 . In October 2021 , the General Scheme of the Gambling Regulation Bill was published . The ‘ Gambling Regulation Bill ’, published on 2 December 2022 , has since progressed to the final stage in the Dáil Éireann . It will then go through all five stages in the Seanad .
ITALY REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Sports betting , horse race betting , poker , casino , bingo and lottery . OPERATOR TYPE : Fully regulated market , although lotteries are the subject of a state monopoly . STATUS : Remote gambling licences are granted within specific application windows . The last tender process for applications closed on 19 March 2018 and licences granted following that tender process were set to expire in December 2022 before the licence term was extended to 31 December 2024 . AGCOM , the Italian communications regulator , has issued sanctions against operators and media companies for violation of the gambling advertising ban ( introduced in 2018 ). Measures to combat unlicensed gambling , including payment blocking measures , entered into effect in October 2019 . On 19 December 2023 the Italian Council of Ministers approved a legislative decree that , among other proposals , stated that new remote gambling concessions will be granted for a one-off fee of € 7m and an annual concession fee of 3 % of the operator ’ s net margin .
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 ( except for lottery products ). STATUS : In 2018 , Malta approved a new Gaming Act that replaced all existing gaming legislation with a single piece of legislation , supplemented by secondary legislation . The Gaming Act , with directives and regulations , became effective on 1 August 2018 . In June 2023 , Malta approved amendments to the Gaming Act , which sets out that Malta will refuse to recognise and / or enforce foreign judgments against operators licensed in Malta that comply with their Maltese obligations .
NETHERLANDS REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Sports betting , horse race betting , poker , casino , bingo and lottery . OPERATOR TYPE : Licences available for all gambling products save for lottery . STATUS : The Remote Gambling Act , which entered into force on 1 April 2021 , set the framework for the Dutch licensing regime and market which opened on 1 October 2021 with the grant of 10 licences . Operators may now submit applications for a licence under the new regime . However , operators that have previously directly ‘ targeted ’ the Dutch market will face a 33-month cooling-off period before being eligible for a licence and may be liable to penalty for continuing to make their services available to Dutch players ( even passively ) until such time as they are licensed . A ban on untargeted gambling advertising entered into force on 1 July 2023 .
NORWAY REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Sports betting , horse race betting and lottery . OPERATOR TYPE : Online gambling is reserved for the 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 Norwegian regulator continues to step up enforcement efforts against unregulated operators , local banks and payment service providers . The government has passed amendments to try and stem the flow of gambling supply from offshore , including enhanced enforcement powers to prevent gambling advertising from abroad . Expanded payment blocking provisions entered into effect on 1 January 2020 . Legislation consolidating Norway ’ s various gambling laws and further strengthening the regulator ’ s powers to address unlicensed gambling and the advertisement of the same entered into effect on 1 January 2023 .
POLAND REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Sports betting , horse race betting , casino and poker . OPERATOR TYPE : 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 . Online gaming ( including poker ) is no longer prohibited as of 1 April 2017 , although the exclusive rights to offer such products are reserved for a state monopoly . Provisions that provide for the establishment of a blacklist of unlicensed operators and ISP and payment blocking came into force on 1 July 2017 . The blacklist contains more than 1,000 domain names .
PORTUGAL REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Sports betting , horse race betting , poker , casino , bingo and lottery . OPERATOR TYPE : Any EU / EEA operator can apply for an online gambling licence . Lottery and land-based fixed-odds sports betting are reserved for the monopoly . STATUS : A regulated market since 2015 . Although operators can apply for licences ,
112 • ISSUE 94 • iGB AFFILIATE LONDON 2024