EUROPEAN REGULATION
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Ireland’s outdated legislation and as such is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.
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.
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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
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