European Parliament Pushes for Responsible Gambling

April 29, 2008

The first �Responsible Gambling Day� was held this week at the European Parliament, and academics, politicians and industry reps were all on hand to celebrate. The event saw many people coming together that you don�t normally see at the same events.

MEPs, the EU Slovenian Presidency, regulators, etc. were all there to talk about cooperation and how it relates to online gambling. They were there to call on the European Union to �ensure a safer and more secure online gambling environment for consumers.�

Much of the talk of online gambling was for the participants to exchange ideas that they had as it related to responsible online gambling. The Chairman of the European Gaming and Betting Association, or EGBA, said: �No matter how much we do, no matter how many rules we put into place, and no matter how good we are � no solution will be optimal if it is not inclusive and based on the full cooperation and commitment of all stakeholders.�

This was a sentiment echoed by many, where they feel that if they work together and completely as a united front they can ensure success for both the online gambling industry and gambling addiction. They say that they can enter the �national markets� but they have to regulate the industry.

Many of them called for continuation of monopolies within the states. They said that this was the best way to protect their consumers. Others said that it was simply an excuse to continue the monopoly. They said that anything is possible if you examine it from all sides and ensure that everyone has the same protection, no matter what country they are participating in online gambling in.




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