Online gaming interests believe EU is dragging heels on opening up markets
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The European Commission has been attempting to force European Union members to end national monopolies on online gambling and open up their markets, but political pressure is slowing down or perhaps even stopping the process, according to online gaming interests.
Ten of the EU’s member nations have been the target of the European Commission for not allowing foreign interests to enter the market for online gaming.
According to a Reuters story:
The gaming industry hoped EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy would have taken Denmark and Sweden to the final stage — the European Court of Justice — on Thursday, but nothing has been announced.
“I am seriously concerned that what would appear to be political manoeuvrings are trying to slow down the Commission’s pace and kick the issue into the long grass,” said John Whittaker, managing director of Stanleybet International. Denmark, Finland and Hungary received final warnings in March last year to change their laws, with France and Sweden three months later, Stanleybet said.
A spokesman for McCreevy said that legal proceedings will continue against the member states that do not have open markets for online gambling, but no hard-and-fast timetable has been set.
