Euroslot-Sep08-pg22-23 8/21/08 9:35 AM Page 22
LEGISLATION
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Gaming legislation is constantly changing. Every
month Euroslot rounds-up the new laws and
amendments affecting the industry.
AUSTRIA then selected Ernst & Young to manage a public discussion about the
In a move to end the infringement procedure launched by the objectives of the new law. Ernst & Young should report to the Ministry of
European Commission, Austria's Parliament has passed Finance by the end of August.
amendments to the country's main gambling law. The proposed changes
have been approved by both Houses of the Austrian Parliament, and were DENMARK
notified to the European Commission in accordance with EU Directives. The In Denmark, the gambling monopoly Danske Spil is facing a
amended Gambling Act is now waiting for comments by the European challenge from TV2. The state owned broadcaster is using a
Commission and EU Member States. The law's three-month standstill loophole in the gambling law to offer games of skill, such as backgammon,
period will expire on October 20. Source: Euromat with the possibility for players to win money. The authorities say that since
games of chance are defined by whether payoffs are "primarily determined
BELGIUM by chance," the offer by TV2 is not covered by the law. Source Euromat
The Belgian industry is hoping that the new Belgian
government, which has been in place since the end of March, FRANCE
will resuscitate the project of the gaming law, which was modified on 7 May, Further to an initiative of the French Presidency, gambling
1999. This law was already approved by the previous government but it was policy was added to the agenda of the Council's Working
forgotten about due to the elections, which took place in June 2007. Party on Establishments and Services, whose first meeting on the issue took
This law promotes the advantages of consistency in the sector, which is place on Wednesday 16 July 2008. Additionally, last week the French
currently ruled by different and disparate authorities. The aim of the law is Presidency submitted a questionnaire on gambling policy (mainly related to
above all to introduce a certificate of reliablity/trustworthiness for the online online gambling) to representatives of all 27 Member States and will be
gaming site operators. Because of the incredible popularity of the game of collecting responses in September 2007. The French Presidency will then
poker in Belgium and – as a consequence – increasing attention in the press analyse responses and publish a Presidency Progress report by the end of
on the subject of gambling addiction, a modification of law is more 2008. Source: Euromat
important than ever.
GERMANY
CZECH REPUBLIC In Germany, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled against
Last year the Ministry of Finance prepared new gaming the smoking ban as the ban violates in the most states the
legislation which was strongly rejected by both operators and German basic law. Especially the smoking ban for small, one-room pubs in
local authorities so the law has not been even submitted to the Parliament. Berlin and the state of Baden Wuertemberg was considered
The Ministry of Finance decided to write the new law from scratch. They unconstitutional. The current ban still applies but new regulation has to be
replaced the director of the Gaming Board at the Ministry of Finance and found by the states until 2009.
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SEPTEMBER 2008
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