Proposed structure of the EUROMAT response to the ... - Jogo Remoto

European Gaming and Amusement Federation
Europäische Verband der Unterhaltungsautomatenwirtschaft
Fédération Européenne des Jeux et d'Amusement
Rules and regulations on advertising of gambling services exist, with a few exceptions, in most
Member States. Generally advertising is allowed for authorised forms of gambling and totally
forbidden for unregulated and unauthorised gambling services. Restrictions usually range from the
prohibition to target minor and vulnerable audiences to sponsoring sport events and sport teams.
In Poland, there is a ban on remote gambling advertisement (except for a website devoted to
remote gambling services). Advertisement available abroad is also available to Polish users (TV
broadcasts, foreign press). In Germany and the Netherlands, advertising unlicensed games of
chance is prohibited. But there are many advertisements for (per definition illegal) on-line gambling
services in the papers, magazines, TV and on the internet itself (banners on non illegal sites like
internet shops). In most cases these violations of the law are not enforced, despite the fact that
enforcement could be relatively simple (e.g. a fine for a newspaper, putting a TV channel on black).
In Romania, marketing, advertising, publicity or any other promotional activities carried out for
remote gambling games or their related activities and services are subject to a fine ranging between
RON 50 000 and 100 000. As a result of the new law the advertising aggressively promoted by some
foreign remote gambling operators has declined appreciably. In Bulgaria, advertising is legal only for
licensed land-based operations and since the remote gambling is still not regulated, its broad
advertising in the country is not legal. Based on the recent experience with the illegal advertising of
online gambling operators, the recently notified draft of a new Gambling law in Bulgaria
(Notification 2011/128/BG) went further on to propose a total ban on advertising and providing any
information about the industry, except announcement of the results of the games and drawings,
and the terms and rules for participation in the games, which would lead to completed information
block about the industry and challenge its legitimacy and transparency.
Question 12: Are there specific national regulations pertaining to payment systems for online
gambling services? How do you assess them?
There are no specific national regulations pertaining to payment systems for remote gambling
services in most EUROMAT member countries.
In the Netherlands, although no specific regulations as such are in place, banks have been asked to
stop the servicing of internet gambling sites based on the fact that remote gambling is not legal and
the services of (illegal) gambling sites is therefore in breach of law. Banks, however, have proven to
be reluctant to comply with this request and there is no actual enforcement.
In Romania, gambling operators must sign a contract with a licensed monitoring and reporting
operator before they can apply for a permit. One of the responsibilities of these monitoring and
reporting operators is to file all financial transactions concluded between the operators of the
gambling games and the player, in both directions, for a period of 5 years.
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