EU Observer – In the coming weeks, the European Commission is expected to unveil its recommendations on consumer protection and advertising for online gambling. These recommendations are foreseen in the European Commission’s Action Plan for online gambling which was published in October 2012. Later this year, another recommendation on betting-related match-fixing is expected. As it is generally the case in consumer goods and services sectors, the industry’s expectations regarding such recommendations are high. Member States share the common objective of protecting consumers. However, the many gambling reforms at national level have yielded different results. Through its recommendations, the European Commission…

Poker News – The 6th Expert Group on Gambling meeting is taking place in Brussels, Belgium this month. Established in December 2012, the Expert Group on Gambling brings together officials from 31 countries* with the purpose of “establishing cooperation between member states’ authorities and the Commission on matters relating to gambling services,” as well as “advising and assisting the Commission in the preparation and implementation of policy initiatives relating to gambling service.” While the meetings were taking place, PokerNews reached out to Taivo Põrk, a specialist from the Entrepreneurship and Accounting Policy Department at the Estonian Ministry of Finance, to…

The European Commission has launched infringement proceedings against a number of European Union member states, with Sweden firmly in the firing line and Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland and Romania also under increased scrutiny. The commission has told Sweden to comply with EU rules on the free movement of services with regard to the regulation and supervision of its gambling monopoly after having already issued a “reasoned opinion” in 2007. “In two separate proceedings the European Commission has requested Sweden to ensure compliance of its national rules establishing exclusive rights for the provision of online betting services and for…