whereby the Greek government granted 24 transitional licences to operators , enabling them to keep transacting with Greek residents . In September 2018 , the Government published draft amendments to the country ’ s Gambling Law which if implemented as proposed , introduce an open licensing regime with unlimited licences , prohibit RNG-based games and maintain the current 35 % GGR tax .
HUNGARY
Regulated gambling products : Sports betting , horse race betting , poker , casino , bingo and lottery . Operator type : Only the state monopolies ( Szerencsejáték Zrt . and Magyar Lóversenyfogadást-Szervezo Kft ) and local concession companies can apply for a licence . Status : Amendments to Hungarian gambling law came into force on 1 October , 2015 , and allow only two land-based casinos to hold remote casino concessions . The regulator has since issued fines , a number of which have been challenged , against unlicensed operators that continue to target the market . In June 2017 , the ECJ determined Hungary ’ s gambling regime to be incompatible with Article 56 TFEU . A subsequent ECJ decision in February 2018 ruled against the Hungarian requirement that online gambling operators must have a land-based licence to offer online gambling services to Hungarian citizens , further strengthening arguments that the current regime is incompatible with EU law . The Hungarian Ministry of Justice has stated its intention to continue to seek to enforce the existing regime despite the most recent ruling . A draft bill that would introduce payment-blocking measures was notified to the EC on 15 December , 2017 , although the bill does not yet appear to have been adopted .
IRELAND
Regulated gambling products : Online gaming is not specifically accounted for in Ireland ’ s outdated legislation and as such is currently unregulated . Operator type : Online betting regulated since August 2015 . Status : Ireland is currently updating
its legislation , which will create a comprehensive igaming regime . In January 2018 , the Irish Cabinet gave the go-ahead to draft a new version of a bill that was first proposed in 2013 . Ireland ’ s opposition party tabled its own legislation in response , citing a lack of progress by the government on its own bill . Amendments to the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956 have also been proposed . Legislative progress is not expected until late 2018 at the earliest .
ITALY
Regulated gambling products : Sports betting , horse race betting , poker , casino , bingo and lottery . Operator type : Fully regulated market . Status : The Stability Law 2016 , passed in December 2015 , introduces various measures affecting the remote gambling industry , including tax changes and a tender process for the award of 120 new online gaming licences . The tender process for applications closed on 19 March , 2018 . On 7 August , 2018 , the Italian parliament approved a decree which prohibits gambling advertising and sponsorship . The ban took effect on 14 July 2018 , although ongoing advertising contracts remain valid until the earlier of their expiration date or 14 July 2019 . The sponsorship ban will apply from 1 January 2019 .
LUXEMBOURG
Regulated gambling products : Lottery . Operator type : Monopoly . Status : The general prohibition on gambling appears sufficiently wide to cover all forms of online gambling .
MALTA
Regulated gambling products : Sports betting , horse race betting , poker , casino , bingo and lottery . Operator type : Private operators can apply for a local licence ( except for lottery products ). Status : Malta has approved a new Gaming Act that replaces all existing gaming legislation with a single piece of legislation , supplemented by secondary legislation . The Gaming Act , with directives and regulations , is effective 1 August , 2018 .
NETHERLANDS
Regulated gambling products : Sports
betting , horse race betting , poker , casino , bingo and lottery . Operator type : Monopoly for all products . Status : The Dutch parliament ’ s lower house approved the Remote Gambling Bill in 2016 , which will introduce an online gambling licensing regime . The legislation will impose a 29 % GGR tax on both online and land-based operators . In September 2018 , the Government opened a public consultation on the implementing regulations of the Remote Gambling Bill , which will be followed by debate and a vote in the Senate , expected in early 2019 . It is understood that operators that have previously been fined by the Dutch regulator will not be eligible for a licence . In the interim , the regulator continues to implement enforcement measures against operators targeting Dutch players , having imposed recent sanctions against three wellknown operators .
NORWAY
Regulated gambling products : Sports betting , horse race betting and lottery . Operator type : Online gambling is reserved for the two monopoly providers , Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto . Status : The monopoly has extended its offering to include live betting , online bingo and casino games in an attempt to redirect traffic from unlicensed sites . In March 2017 , the government published a long-awaited white paper on how best to regulate the gambling sector , which proposed that the gambling monopoly remain in place and no licensing system be introduced . The Norwegian regulator continues to step up enforcement efforts against unregulated operators , local banks and payment service providers . On 4 June , 2018 , the Ministry of Culture notified a draft regulation to the European Commission that would establish payment-blocking measures . The standstill period ended on 5 September , 2018 . The European Gaming and Betting Association is understood to have filed a legal challenge against the proposed measures .
POLAND
Regulated gambling products : Sports betting , horse race betting , casino and poker .
80 iGB Affiliate Issue 71 OCT / NOV 2018