CYPRUS
REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Sports betting , horse race betting and lottery . OPERATOR TYPE : OPAP has a monopoly over lottery operations ; betting licences are available to private operators . STATUS : Cyprus regulated online betting in July 2012 , although a licensing regime was not established until 2016 .
ISPs are obliged to implement blocking measures to prohibit Cypriot residents from accessing unlicensed gambling websites . A betting law , which entered into force in March 2019 , replaced the 2012 Betting Law . The provisions of the 2019 law are substantially the same , with minor amends introduced to address EU incompatibility concerns under the previous law ( such as the requirement to have a local branch in order to obtain a betting licence ). In July 2021 the local regulator introduced rules and restrictions on gambling advertising .
CZECH REPUBLIC
REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Sports betting , horse race betting , poker , casino , bingo and lottery . OPERATOR TYPE : EU and EEA-based operators are able to apply for licences . STATUS : The gambling regulatory regime , which entered into force in the Czech Republic on 1 January
2017 , allows EU / EEA companies to enter the market . ISP-blocking measures are active in the jurisdiction . In March 2023 , a draft law setting out proposed amendments to the Czech Gambling Act was published . Proposals include granting the local regulator further powers to tackle unlicensed operators and the introduction of responsible gambling measures and restrictions on bonus offers .
DENMARK
REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Sports betting , fantasy sports , horse race betting , poker , casino , bingo and lottery . OPERATOR TYPE : Licences for all gambling products are available to private operators save for lotteries , which 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 ( DGA ) has been granted an injunction to block operators and suppliers that have been targeting Danish customers without the requisite licence . As of 1 January 2020 , licensed operators are required to ensure that customers have set deposit limits before they are allowed to gamble , although it is understood this applies to online casino only . The DGA introduced new marketing regulations , effective from 1 April 2020 . In August 2021 the self-regulatory body the ‘ Gambling Advertising Board ’ was established .
ESTONIA
REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Sports betting , horse race betting , poker , casino , bingo and lottery . OPERATOR TYPE : Licences for all gambling products are available to private operators save for lotteries , which are reserved exclusively for the monopoly operator . 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 online . A blacklist of operators is maintained and updated by local authorities and ISP and payment blocking is in force . Though some operators argue that the regime is still not compatible with EU law , no notification alleging incompatibility has been issued by the EC since the requirement for licensees to maintain servers in Estonia was removed .
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 monopoly provider Veikkaus Oy . STATUS : Despite the existence of a national monopoly , EC enforcement action was dropped subsequent to various changes to Finnish laws . Active enforcement measures are in place ( restrictive marketing for offshore operators in particular ). In January 2022 , amendments to Finland ’ s gambling law entered into force which grant the Police Board new powers to take administrative action against private operators that target the Finnish market . Provisions concerning payment blocking measures entered into force on 1 January 2023 . In June 2023 , the Finnish government set out its intention to overhaul the gambling framework in Finland by bringing about an end to the current monopoly system and replacing it with a licensing regime by 2026 .
FRANCE
REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Sports betting , horse race betting , poker , bingo and lottery .
iGB L ! VE 2024 • ISSUE 136 • 87