EGBA analyses European online gaming regulation and highlights the benefits of multiple licenses

 EGBA looks back at the evolution of different legal frameworks and explains that, until ten years ago, most European countries did not have specific regulations for online gaming or only state-owned online gaming monopolies were allowed. In this regard, the association highlights that the situation has changed drastically.

The multiple licensing model, which allows public and private companies to obtain a license to offer online gaming in one country, has become Europe's clear and preferred basis for regulating online gaming.

On this licensing model, Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), said: “Unlike monopolies, the benefits of full multi-licensing are very clear: better protection for consumers, more tax revenues for the state, and better control for regulators over their online gambling markets”.

Next, we share the key data of this analysis:

• Multi-licensing has been adopted in 25 out of 29 European countries, with 21 countries having introduced full multi-licensing for all regulated online gambling products.
• 4 European countries have a mixed licensing system with a monopoly for either sports betting (Hungary and Slovenia) or casino gaming and poker (Austria and Poland) and multi-licensing for all other online gambling products.
• Finland and Norway are the only countries which still retain an exclusive state-owned monopoly for all online gambling.
• Ireland is expected to introduce multi-licensing for online gambling in 2021/22.
• Cyprus (casino gaming and poker) and France (casino gaming) both impose product prohibitions in online gambling.
• Germany allows online casino gaming, but at the discretion of the respective Länder. It is intended that the provision of virtual slots would be allowed for private operators from 1st July 2021.
• Luxembourg currently has no specific licensing regulations for online gambling.