The Eurochamber proposes more control on online betting

The Eurochamber wants UE countries to cooperate in the solution of social problems caused by online games of chance, as the gaming addiction or the fraudulent use of personal data and credit cards.

The Parliament has approved a text with measures allocated to protect consumers, asking the countries that are members to regulate this market in common. The document proposes the setting of a maximum quantity per month that each person could allocate to online betting, on top of forcing betting operators to impose the use of pre-paid cards that could be sold in stores.

It has also been pointed the need to set more efficient under-age controls and the distribution of more adequate funds for investigation, prevention and treatment of problems derived from that games.

Speaker of the report, Danish socialist Christel Schaldemose, also considers that the benefits obtained from games of chance “should be used to benefit society, including education, health, professional sport, culture, etc.”

The games of chance market has grown considerably in recent years, generating gross income of 51,500 million euros in 2003, according to EU information. Nowadays, the legal frame for the games of chance market in the European Union are very different, and it is a practice that is not allowed in all states. Just 20 countries allow online games of chance, of which 13 countries have a liberalized market, six have state monopolies and one state member has authorized a private monopoly.

After the complaints of other members against the states that operate this market in a monopolistic way, the commission has started procedures to verify if national measures that limit the online betting activity between nations are compatible with the EU law.