New research from Right2Bet.net has found that Europeans placing a World Cup wager through a state-run operation were 32 percent worse off on average.
Wednesday 28th July 2010
Online sportsbetting consumer campaign Right2Bet.net has announced that European state-run monopolies offered customers 32 percent worse odds on average over the course of the 2010 FIFA World Cup when compared to private operators.
Right2Bet.net stated that it is lobbying for the right of all European Union (EU) citizens to be able to choose an EU-licensed operator of their choice and hosts an online petition that asks authorities to ensure that fundamental free-trade principles are respected when it comes to online gambling.
The figures were revealed in Right2Bet.net’s World Cup Report, which analysed the odds offered on every match in South Africa by seven of Europe’s biggest state-run betting monopolies and then compared these to equivalent prices on offer from other licensed European operators. The group stated that the aim of the study was to discover whether Europe’s betting monopolies could be short-changing customers with the help of legislation that protects their existence and market dominance.
“The figures emanating from this World Cup Report are quite shocking,” said Ari Last, spokesperson for Right2Bet.net.
“Millions of EU consumers who wanted to bet during the World Cup were subjected to hugely inferior prices by the monopolies that their governments strive so hard to protect.
“The protectionist behaviour of certain member states when it comes to online gambling is a situation that does not conform to the ethos of the ‘single-market’ and we hope that the findings of this World Cup Report will highlight what is undoubtedly an unjust reality.”
Right2Bet.net’s research found that the monopoly in Germany was the biggest offenders with odds that were 48 percent worse than those being offered by private firms while Swedish punters were 40 percent worse off. This was followed by The Netherlands with odds that were inferior by 35 percent before France with consumers worse off by 31.5 percent. At the tail end was Greece at 31 percent and Denmark offering odds that were inferior by 14.4 percent.
