European Commission accepts player protective measures

The issue of a unified approach to player protective measures in online gambling throughout the European Union has been the subject of debate and public consultation by the European Commission for the past four years, but progress now appears to be inching forward.

This week the Commission adopted the recommendations on player protection that have evolved, expressing the hope that the measures will assist EU member states, many of which have introduced national online gambling regulatory regimes, to achieve a high level of protection for their citizens when it comes to internet gambling services.

The recommendations include:

* a need to ensure that citizens in EU member states – especially minors – are made aware of the risks entailed in gambling online, and that responsible efforts are made by operators to effectively communicate a cohesive responsible gaming message;

* To ensure that online gamblers are given information that provides greater clarity and an assurance that the legitimate sites on which they choose to play have satisfactory safeguards in place regarding age and identity verification and appropriate registration controls.

* Operators have an obligation to adopt measures that mitigate the risks attached to online gambling, particularly in the area of problem gamblers.

* There must be stringently applied anti-money laundering measures.

* EU member states will be required to conduct risk assessment at the national level.

The Commission notes that over 12 percent of all gambling is conducted online in the European Union, with around 6.8 million EU citizens playing at differing levels of intensity.

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