EUROPEAN REGULATION
European Regulation
In conjunction with Chris Elliott and Jane Ashford-Thom of Wiggin LLP, iGaming
Business provides a regulatory snapshot of iGaming markets across the EU. This
includes regulated products and legalised operator types within e ach country, and
any impending market updates.
AUSTRIA
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports betting,
horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator Type: Licences for sports betting and
horse race betting are available for private operators
on a regional basis within Austria whereas poker,
casino, bingo and lottery are controlled by the
monopoly, Austria Lotteries.
Status: A recent appeal challenging Austrian
tax legislation is seen as a test case by other
offshore operators targeting Austrian business.
The Member State has proposed changes to its
regulations (notably a ban on in-play betting)
to help curb match fixing, measures which the
Austrian Bookmakers Association has agreed
to implement. Recent court decisions reached
conflicting decisions on the compatibility of
Austria’s current gambling legislative framework
with EU law, which remains unclear.
The Austrian government put forward a
proposal to block unlicensed offshore operators
targeting the country, although next steps are
unclear.
BELGIUM
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports betting,
horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator Type: All products are available to
private operators save for lotteries, which are
reserved exclusively for the monopoly provider.
However, online operators need to partner up
with local casinos in order to satisfy the land-based
establishment requirement; or alternatively, apply
for one of the 34 retail licences (F1 licences) which
can be extended to cover online (F1+ licence).
Status: Further restrictions and a tightening of
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the legal framework is also proposed, with three
decrees having been notified to the EC. The
regulator recently introduced rules to prevent live
casino products being offered to players unless the
dealers are physically in Belgium. The potential for
EC infringement proceedings remains.
The Belgian government announced its
intention to apply VAT of 21% on gambling
transactions, although the full implications of the
proposed tax remain unclear, including whether it
would apply to online gambling.
BULGARIA
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports betting,
horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery
(excluding raffles and instant lottery games).
Operator Type: All products are available to private
operators save for lotteries, which are reserved
exclusively for the monopoly provider.
Status: Bulgaria’s Gambling Act became law on
1 July 2012 but licences were not available until
mid-2013 as further implementing legislation
needed to be in force. Any operator from an EU/
EEA jurisdiction or the Swiss Confederation
can apply for a licence. The Bulgarian regulator
has subsequently issued licences, including to a
number of international operators, and recently
removed the restriction on Gibraltar-based
applicants.
The change from a turnover to a GGR tax-based
system has prompted a number of operators to
apply for a local licence.
CROATIA
Regulated Gambling Products: Sports betting,
horse race betting, poker, casino, bingo and lottery.
Operator Type: All products are available to private