It may be “too early to say” whether European governments will seek to regulate social gaming but, according to one expert, the authorities will have to adhere to EU rules.
Recent reports suggested that the UK Gambling Commission was looking into whether social gaming should fall under the same controls as gambling, however, many have disputed the likelihood of such action.
Wes Himes, managing partner of public affairs consultancy Policy Action, said the situation would be far from straightforward.
“It is too early to say but if some governments eventually decide to regulate social gaming they are likely to cover only very specific issues, like for instance how to protect children and whether someone can trade their virtual chips in a secondary market for cash,” he told InterGaming. “In any event, governments will be subject to EU rules and will have less leeway to introduce restrictions than in the case of gambling, provided that the game is not played for the prospect of winning a sum of money or money’s worth.”
