Online gambling

Key points:

The Committee:

• reiterates the points it made previously in its opinion on the Green Paper and regrets that the Commission has taken only some of its conclusions on board. In particular, it points out that stamping out illegal gambling, which is the primary threat in terms of consumer protection, is not the priority of the communication;
• has major concerns regarding the considerable risks to public health posed by gambling and reiterates its request that the Commission conduct a research and monitoring exercise throughout the EU on online gambling-related addiction and illness, and recommends that Member States use some of the tax revenue generated to finance awareness-raising campaigns, preventive measures and treatments for gambling-related disorders;
• notes that EU legislation specific to the online gambling sector is not currently an option. However, the Committee would like to see more effective legislative instruments – preferably directives – being used in certain areas, where there is concurrent competence, to protect consumers and the most vulnerable groups, and to combat illegal operators and money laundering;
• calls on the Commission to update and review the rules it has set out in the areas of action identified in the communication in the light of developments in the meantime as regards implementation of the rules by the Member States, which measures they have implemented and how, and the results achieved at national level.

Recent EESC opinion on

• online gambling (CESE 1581/2011)

For more information please contact the INT Section Secretariat