The future of European online gambling
The European Union is an international entity in which there are uniform standard circulation of goods and services. However, some EU member countries have their own position on certain issues. Among them is the attitude towards online gambling. There is no consensus to this day.
For a long time, the attitude towards online gambling remained negative. However, over time, states began to reconsider their policies. The pioneer country in this direction was Great Britain. The industry received an impetus for development after the country’s Gaming Commission established regulatory standards. Operators who received a license were now free to advertise their services. However, some questions remain unresolved. The most important of them relate to taxation. Offshore companies are in a better position than UK licensed operators. Therefore, at this stage, the main task of the authorities is to develop a secondary tax that can equalize all market participants.
As for mainland Europe, Italy took the first steps towards legalizing online gambling. The country allowed sports betting, bingo and poker tournaments, which were extremely popular among the population. In 2009, a tax was established for online operators, ranging from 2% to 5%. Further legalization laws, such as allowing poker cash games and casino games, resulted in online gambling turnover doubling in the country.
For many years, France had a state monopoly on the gambling market. Online gambling regulations established in April 2010 allowed private operators to compete under the supervision of ARJEL. Relaxations are made only for sports bets, bets on horse racing and poker. However, many operators are not too keen on expanding into the French market. The main reason is the replacement of the profit tax with a new turnover tax.
Spain is also among the countries that have taken the path of legalizing gambling. The opening of the online market was planned for January 1, 2012, but due to technical delays the dates were postponed. After several months of ups and downs, companies that met government requirements received licenses and began operating. A total of 58 applications from companies were approved, more than half of which were Spanish.
However, not all countries are ready to make concessions. Even being in a difficult financial situation, Greece maintains the state gambling monopoly ORAR, thereby depriving itself of an additional source of income. The European Union opposes the Greek laws, considering them incorrect. ORAP, as the largest Greek gambling operator, requires operators to locate their offices in Greece, conduct financial transactions exclusively through local banks and control the upper threshold of their players' bets. In addition, foreign operators are forced to pay a tax of 30% of profits.
These are just some examples of solving the issue regarding online gambling. However, it is worth recognizing that this industry is gaining momentum every day and is forcing countries to reconsider their attitude towards it. In addition, virtual games are a very promising source of income. And in conditions of an economic crisis, this is important.
