| Author (Corporate) | European Commission |
|---|---|
| Series Title | COM |
| Series Details | (2012) 596 final (23.10.12) |
| Publication Date | 23/10/2012 |
| Content Type | Policy-making |
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Online gambling is a fast growing service activity in the EU, with annual growth rates of almost 15%. Annual revenues in 2015 are expected to be in the region of €13 billion, compared to €9.3 billion in 2011. This would represent a total growth rate of almost 40%. The economic significance of the sector is also shown by the high level of innovation of the EU industry and the increasing amount of tax revenues generated in the Member States. The fast pace of online technologies development in recent years has facilitated the provision of gambling services through diverse remote distribution channels. These include the internet and other means of electronic or distance communication such as mobile phone technology or digital TV. The nature of the online environment means that gambling sites may operate in the EU, outside any form of control carried out by regulators within the EU. Consumers in Europe also search across borders for online gambling services which, if not properly regulated, may expose them to significant risks. The extensive range of offers and the rising level of demand for online gambling services pose a number of challenges when it comes to ensuring the proper implementation of public policy objectives at the national, EU and international level. In 2011, the Commission adopted a Green Paper on online gambling in the Internal Market. Through that public consultation it sought to obtain a full picture of the existing situation, to facilitate the exchange of best practices between Member States and to determine how, in due consideration of their public policy objectives and without undermining the internal market, the differing national regulatory models for gambling can coexist and whether specific action may be needed at the EU level to ensure greater coherence. The responses to the consultation differ both in terms of the content and the instruments that should be used for EU initiatives. Overall, it does not appear appropriate at this stage to propose sector specific EU legislation. However, there was an almost unanimous call for policy action at EU level and the responses allow for a clear identification of the key priority areas where action is required. This Communication, together with the accompanying Commission Staff Working Document, identifies the key challenges posed by the co-existence of national regulatory frameworks within the Internal Market. It also seeks to propose answers to these challenges in the form of actions to be taken both at the national and EU level. The Staff Working Document provides more detailed information resulting from the analysis of the responses to the Green Paper, the proposed initiatives in this Action Plan, as well as relevant data. The Commission has drawn from good practices in the EU and Member States in order to propose responses to the varied range of issues related to online gambling. |
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| Source Link | http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2012:0596:FIN:EN:PDF |
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| Subject Categories | Business and Industry |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
