An upcoming commission policy paper on gambling will be a ‘key test’ of the executive’s commitment to tackling ‘fragmentation’ in the sector.
Speaking in Brussels, Sigrid Ligné, secretary general of European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), called for ‘hard’ action from the commission to protect consumers.
She said, “We deplore the situation today where we see 27 ‘mini-markets’ for gambling in Europe. We are calling for the introduction of European rules to ensure proper protection for consumers and maintain a crime-free environment throughout the EU, while affording open, fair and transparent licensing conditions for EU-regulated operators.”
And she added, “ The objective is to have EU-wide, sector specific legislation that regulates both market access and consumer protection issues.”
Her comments come as the commission prepares to unveil its “communication and action plan on online gambling” on October, 10.
