Regulators In Europe To Work For Harmonized Rules

Regulators from across Europe will meet on February 27th with the European Commission to try to harmonize online gambling regulations across the continent.

During the meeting the European Commission will report its findings from 5 expert workshops and 260 contributions to the Green Paper that was ordered last year. The Commission will work to develop common EU rules during workshops that deal with:

• Sports Integrity

• Detection and prevention of problem gambling

• Systems of revenue distribution

• Prevention of fraud and money laundering

• National enforcement and administrative cooperation

European Gaming and Betting Association Secretary General Sigrid Ligné is in favor of the initiative, saying "We have high expectations of this process. We are calling for the introduction of EU-level rules to safeguard adequate protection for consumers and at the same time ensure fair and transparent licensing conditions for EU operators.

"With the European Court drawing ever-clearer ‘red lines’ for national regulation we have high hopes that rapid progress can and will be made through better cooperation and the development of common EU rules.”

Currently many nations in the European Union do not work together when it comes to enforcing online gambling regulations. This has led to many operators being forced to apply for gaming licenses in multiple countries and had negative consequences for both punters and regulating bodies.