New statement further criticises German anti-gambling treaty
Friday 1st June 2007
The European Commission has issued a second statement berating most elements of the draft State Treaty on gambling set forward by the Federal German states. After an analysis of the draft by several departments, the Commission has expressed serious concerns as to the treaty's compatibility with European Community law.
Although the Commission had investigated only the ban on the holding and co-ordination of online sports betting and lotteries in its first comprehensive statement of position in March 2007, describing the proposal as inconsistent, the EU Commissioners current paper debates additional aspects of the draft treaty that they see as not being in line with the EC treaty.
These include advertising restrictions, for example on the internet, by telephone and on TV and Restrictions on the free movement of capital, i.e. on methods of payment.
‘The EU has recognised that certain federal states are trying to exploit their legislative power in the face of super ordinate law, not - as is erroneously and repeatedly claimed - to protect people against gambling addiction, but to eliminate the competition and corner the economic advantages of monopolising the market. They won't succeed,' declared Rainer Jacken, Management Board spokesman for German gaming company FLUXX AG.
