Istanbul, 17/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - For the first time, the European Commission is bringing an infringement of its legislation on gambling and games of chance before the European Court, and it is Sweden in the hot seat, with two cases brought against it on Thursday 16 October.
Since November 2013, the Commission has been asking the country to observe European requirements, particularly as regards poker and gambling online, without receiving any convincing response. Firstly, the Commission criticises exclusive rights for sports gambling and the fact that these are not sufficiently controlled by the Swedish state, which has never modified its legislation in this area. Secondly, it takes the view that the Swedish state does not adequately control the holders of the exclusive rights and that the restrictive policy in the field of poker gaming is inconsistent, as the authorities allow unauthorised options and advertising.
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has welcomed the European Commission's tough stance. Bringing an infringement of the European laws on gambling before the courts is a breakthrough, “demonstrating a strong commitment to preserving the European fundamental freedoms”, said the secretary general of the association, Maarten Haijer. (MD)