EGBA files comlaint with French Council of State

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has filed a complaint with the Council of State in France asking for clarification of the nation’s sports ownership right.
The Brussels-based organisation counts most of Europe’s tier-one online gambling companies as members and stated that the contentious ownership right requires bookmakers to seek permission from and pay fees to the country’s various sporting organisations in order to take wagers on fixtures with these charges used for the detection and prevention of fraud.
However, the EGBA announced that this issue, although initially justified on ethical grounds, has evolved towards generating profits.
“The ownership rights have been diverted from their initial objective,” said Sigrid Ligne, Secretary General for the EGBA.
“Today, licensed operators are facing two contradictory objectives. This incoherence explains the difficulties in implementation and raises numerous legal questions. The issue must be addressed.”
The EGBA revealed that the European Commission has not had an opportunity to formally review the compatibility of France’s laws with European rules as the body was never notified as is required under directive 98/34/CE.

Related and similar