EU Okays Denmark Online Gambling Taxes
Published September 22, 2011 by OCR Editor
Liberalization of Danish online gambling sets example for rest of Europe
European Union regulators approved Denmark's new online gambling taxes on Tuesday, paving the way for the northern European country to continue with the liberalisation of its gaming industry.
'Complies with EU rules'
The European Commission said in a statement Tuesday that its in-depth investigation found that a law removing some restrictions on gambling in Denmark, which also means online casinos pay lower taxes than land-based casinos, complies with EU rules.
The Danish gambling laws are compatible with EU rules "because the positive effects of the liberalisation of the market outweigh the distortions of competition brought about by the measure," the regulator of the 27-nation European Union said.
Denmark sets example
Online gambling operators and interest groups were full of praise for the Danish initiative, saying that it sets an example for other European nations to follow.
A spokesman for UK-based betting company Betfair, which is planning to apply for a Danish license, said its regulation will is "a great example of what modern-day gambling legislation should look like across Europe." He added that it is structured to provide Danish consumers and international operators with the benefits of a safe, transparent and competitive online gambling market.
However, National lotteries body European Lotteries seemed not to see the benefits of the law, slamming the commission for favouring liberalisation of online gambling over what it called "the substantial risk for gambling addiction." The lotteries body said online and offline gambling operations should have been taxed equally.
