Petition on EU gambling law

jonburns · Joined: 27 Oct 2009 Posts: 2 Offline

Hola, apologies for posting a url and for a slightly left field topic, but if there are any EU-watchers and/or fans of online gambling here, maybe this will provoke some interesting discussion:

www.right2bet.net

It's an online petition to lobby the EU to introduce proper freedom of choice for online bookies and casinos. At the moment, EU Member States can and regularly do stop both punters and bookies/casinos from crossing borders. So punters often cannot use bookies based in other countries etc. This affects people who like to bet on sports, use lotteries and so on, because it stops them getting the best odds or even claiming their winnings! With horse racing this means there could be a bookie in another country offering much better odds, and you can't take that opportunity.

But most of all its monstrously unfair because a free internal market exists in most areas within the EU (or it's supposed to, at least) but the EU is unwilling to enforce it with gambling. Why? Because some of its Member States enjoy lining their pockets with the proceeds of state monopolies! It stinks of hypocrisy, and if this petition gets to 1million then they will be forced to take another look at their rules.

Cheers
Jon

chimp · Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 11:54 am Post subject:

The laws and restraints on gambling - particularly the provision of gambling facilities do seem to be strange not only in the eu, but in the uk - all the recent fuss over the provision of casinos and super casinos has baffled me - why can't licenses be awarded to anybody who can operate within the confines of the law - I understand problems and concerns regarding those and the effect on others due to gambling problems, but this is a democratic society and people should have choice

jonburns · Joined: 27 Oct 2009 Posts: 2 Offline

I don't know, chimp. There seems to be a lingering hostility and prejudice towards gambling, especially by people in government who feel they have to take a so-called 'moral' highground on everything. They probably get more votes (and the media sells more papers) by villifying gambling than they do by championing peoples' rights to access it! However, that doesn't stop them taxing it to line their coffers or using it to sell advertising space...

This petition isn't aimed at changing the way gambling is regulated though. It wouldn't result in any more or any less casinos. It's just about letting people vote with their wallets and bet anywhere within the EU, just as you could hire a plumber from anywhere in the EU or use a travel agent from anywhere in the EU, or buy your car from anywhere in the EU. Why are we banned from using foreign bookies and online casinos? It's bonkers, and needs sorting out!

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