The European Economic and Social Committee has submitted a report to the EU institutions regarding online gaming. Drafted by a Maltese lawyer, the opinion will be the basis for discussions to be held at EU level on online gaming.
In the absence of an EU wide legislation, online gaming is currently under the legal jurisdiction of member states. This scenario is resulting in a multitude of legislations across the EU with some countries implementing a total ban on online gaming.
According to the news article published on the 10th November 2011 on The Times, one of the Maltese daily newspapers, 85 per cent of those involved in the online gaming market, are black market operators. This figure presents a policy challenge on EU level, as these 85 per cent need to be brought under one legislation thus safeguarding consumer interests and preventing money laundering. In addition, countries like Malta, for which online gaming accounts for a substantial part of its financial service sector, might not be willing to implement stricter legislation that will result in these companies moving elsewhere outside the EU.
The report put forward a number of suggestions that include setting age limits, ban on credit use and also a minimum standard that would need to be observed across the EU but with the possibility that countries can set higher standards. The report has also suggested the setting up of a structure that would oversee cooperation between member states and strict regulation on advertising by online gaming companies.
The architect of the report Dr. Stefano Mallia is hoping that his opinion would have an impact on the European Parliament which will be voting on its own opinion next month.