The European Commission has sent a formal letter to Portugal requesting that the nation cease its practice of taxing some lottery winnings while exempting those from other games. Portugal has been a member of the European Union (EU) since 1986 and the Commission stated that the nation’s current practice runs contrary to treaty obligations as it restricts the freedom to provide equal services.
The European Commission said France will provide detailed new legislation on the provision of its gambling services to its EU internal markets services by autumn. A spokesman for EU internal market commissioner Charlie McCreevy said: "France is working on this new legislation...(it) has promised the Commission to come forward with detailed legislation as early as autumn this year."
As part of an ongoing major trade dispute over Internet gambling that has the United States in an increasingly difficult position to justify, the European Commission has now launched a formal investigation over US actions. The Commission submitted a list of questions to leading U.S. officials related to a possible U.S. trade violation for discriminatory trade practices against European online gambling companies according to Inside Trade.
Central government is concluding the report it will issue to the European Commission, demanded by US head of Environment, Stavros Dimas, on Gran Scala project. According to the government, documents will be issued to Brussels in the right deadline, but it will not happen this week, as expected by Izquierda Unida, because official sources said that the deadline to send the data to the European entity has not concluded yet.
Brussels (Reuters) - The European Commission is expected to step up legal action against the Netherlands and Greece over restrictions to competition in their gaming markets, a source with knowledge of the situation said on Monday. "They are expected to pursue the cases against Greece and the Netherlands for restrictions in sports betting services, barring any last-minute change of mind," the source said.
Nine European nations are mulling plans to create a cross-border lottery with punters to be lured by a jackpot that rolls up higher from week to week, a German lottery official informed. Klaus Sattler, spokesman for the Baden Wuerttemberg state lottery commission, said in Stuttgart, "It’s true there are talks among several European lotteries on creating a joint, jackpot-oriented game."
The Gambling Commission is set to step up legal action against Germany next week for thwarting foreign competition in the country’s gaming markets, the Reuters news agency reports, quoting an unnamed source who said: "The decision is expected to be adopted by the Commission next Thursday." After signing a protectionist accord to ban online gambling in Germany to shield state monopolies from competition from companies in other EU member nations...
The European Commission plans to decide within weeks whether to step up legal action against Germany over that country's recent move to ban online gambling, a spokesman for the commission in Brussels said Tuesday. The German law came into effect on Jan. 1, banning Web-based betting, with the exception of wagers on horseracing, and restricting other forms of gambling to state-run operators.
Gaming company Ritzio Entertainment Group plans to expand its presence in Germany and Italy and enter other European countries before gambling is restricted in its home market. Ritzio has spent about USD 100 million this year buying 80 slot-machine halls in Germany, gaining from 1 percent to 2 percent of the local market, spokeswoman Larisa Shishkina said Friday. The company is targeting as much as 15 percent of the German gaming market and plans to add to its business in Italy, where it has a venture with a local operator.
Europe and the United States are on the brink of a major trade dispute worth billions of pounds over Washington’s decision to renege on international trade commitments and protect its domestic gambling industry by preventing foreign companies from entering the lucrative market. The Remote Gambling Association (RGA), whose members include such household names as Labrokes, Skybet, William Hill and Paddy Power, said yesterday that the US action, if unchallenged, could lead to similar protectionist behaviour in other areas.
London - Annette Obrestad became the youngest bracelet winner in World Series of Poker history early today by conquering the Main Event at the first annual WSOP Europe Presented by Betfair. The 18-year-old Norwegian played masterfully over the course of the five- day 10,000 pounds buy-in No-Limit Texas Hold'Em Championship, outlasting a field that included the strongest showing of professionals in European poker history.
Nach der WSOP ist vor der WSOP. Das stimmt, und in diesem Jahr dauert es nicht lange, bis die World Series of Poker (WSOP) wieder an den Start geht. In rund sechs Wochen beginnt die WSOP Europe in London. Und über 60 Bracelet-Gewinner haben bereits ihr Kommen zugesagt. Erst seit zwei Wochen kann man sich bei Betfair für die WSOP Europe registrieren. Die Stars wollen aber offenbar keine Gelegenheit versäumen, ein Bracelet gewinnen zu können.
