The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has expressed concern with the apparent lack of commitment to curb further fragmentation of the common market and ensure that EU consumers enjoy consistent standards of regulated, safe and high-quality products.
Secretary general of EGBA, Sigrid Ligné, commented: “We welcome the Commission coming forward with a Green Paper and a factual discussion on all aspects of online gambling. We are deeply concerned though that the focus of the paper seems to be on a national rather than an EU approach despite the clear cross-border nature of this sector.
"What we expect is the Commission to propose an EU regulatory framework for online gambling, as it has done for other inherently highly regulated sectors such as telecoms or pharmaceuticals. In parallel, the Commission in its role as guardian of the Treaty should vigorously and systematically pursue infringement proceedings against those member
states that continue to violate EU law.”
Ligné concluded: “The launch of this Green Paper should under no circumstances cause the Commission to freeze pending or avoid opening new infringement cases against national regulations that are in violation of the Treaty.”
