The FINANCIAL — The virtual world has a very big influence on many different things. Gambling is no exception. Big profit can be made from playing games like online gambling. Online gambling can be way cheaper and practical in most cases. It can also provide a bigger variety of games and opportunities. Online gambling regulation in EU countries is characterised by diverse regulatory frameworks.
Online gambling has become very popular and is now preferred by many people around the globe. Almost everyone who likes to gamble is now shifting towards playing gambling games like slots, poker, lotteries, and betting over the internet through their mobile phones and laptops. However, gambling is by some viewed as a bad thing, so it is not legal in all countries. But it is legal in countries like the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, Sweden, Denmark, and in some states in the United States like Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Many other countries are in the stage of initiating online casinos and legalizing online gambling. But there are some countries and states where online gambling is banned. They see gambling as a harmful activity and a moral hazard because of the possibility of money laundering, addiction, and underaged players. But there are also places where gambling is seen as a normal and mostly a harmless activity, Euro Weekly News wrote.
Most EU countries allow at least some games of chance to be offered on the internet. Some countries allow all games, while others only allow certain types such as betting, poker or casino games. In some European jurisdictions, monopolistic regimes offering online gambling services have been established. These are run by a state-controlled public operator or by a private operator on the basis of an exclusive right. However, a growing number of EU countries have established licensing systems that allow more than 1 operator to offer services on the market. Under EU law, no particular system is favoured over the others.
Online gambling regulation in EU countries is characterised by diverse regulatory frameworks. In a number of judgments, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled on the compliance of national regulatory frameworks with EU law. All national regulatory systems must respect EU law. In a series of judgments, the CJEU has provided general guidance on the interpretation of the fundamental freedoms of the Internal Market in the area of online gambling so that national courts can assess the circumstances under which restrictive national gambling laws are justified on grounds related to the general interest.
While EU countries usually offer legitimate reasons for the restriction of cross-border gambling services, they must nonetheless demonstrate the suitability, proportionality and necessity of the measure in question, in particular the existence of a problem linked to the public interest objective at stake and the consistency of the regulatory system. EU countries must also demonstrate that the public interest objectives they have chosen are being pursued in a consistent and systematic manner, and they must not undertake, facilitate, or tolerate measures that would run counter to the achievement of these objectives according to the European Commission.
Online gambling drastically changed the gambling industry. It offers a couple of conveniences that wouldn’t be provided by offline gambling. That is one of the main reasons why the online platform in this industry is growing exponentially in the users. We should also mention that offline gambling also has some advantages such as meeting other users and connecting with them socially. It all comes down to personal choice and preferences.