6 12 December 2007

News:

A heavyweight delegation from PartyGaming gave evidence to the Canadian Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee on 29 November that a Bill designed to 'tidy up' criminal legislation could inadvertently criminalise offshore online gambling operators.

Nicolas Sarkozy's Presidential Cabinet has appointed a task force with the short term aim of opening up France's online gambling market, and the longer-term aim of restructuring its gambling regime in the form of a draft Gambling Act.

Data Protection and privacy professionals have welcomed the launch this month of DataGuidance Europe and DataGuidance UK.

Features:

The global online gambling industry has seen more challenges in two years than many experience during their entire life cycle.

Clive Hawkswood, chief executive of the Remote Gambling Association, comments that a statutory levy to fund problem gambling is not necessary, as the second Prevalence Study proved the effectiveness of industry self-regulation of problem gambling.

The launch of Turf TV, a racing channel supported by the majority of the UK's racecourses which provides televised coverage to betting shops, has created a broadcast rights dispute between the courses and bookmakers who, through part ownership of 'Attheraces', previously enjoyed a monopoly on provision of that coverage. James Earl and Ben Harris, of the Clarke Wilmott Sports Team, set out the arguments and latest developments in a case which now includes the UK Government, which is required to set a levy after bookmakers and racecourses failed to agree on whether the cost of Turf TV should be factored into determining the percentage of profits that bookmakers should plough back into the sport.

In September, Cyber World Group was prosecuted under Canada's Criminal Code with operating an online gambling business based in Montreal, with its servers based in the Kahnawá:ke Mohawk reserve. Michael D. Lipton Q.C. and Kevin J. Weber, of Elkind & Lipton LLP, discuss the prosecution and other more recent developments that have the potential to affect online gambling in Canada.

The French government has recently indicated its intention to open up the online gambling market, following pressure from the European Commission. Aurélien Condomines, partner at Aramis Société d'Avocats, explains the government's intentions and time frame for opening the market.

Following the introduction of the Frank and McDermott Bills to the regulatory arena and the Financial Services (Full) Committee hearing on the viability of regulation to protect consumers and the payments system earlier this year, activity continues in the efforts to implement a regulatory regime in the United States. Rick Smith, Head of Government Affairs, Policy and Regulation at the UC Group Limited, sets out these efforts.

On 13 November 2007, the Norwegian Government presented a consultation paper proposing a prohibition on processing of payments from Norway to remote gambling sites. The objective of the proposal is to limit the extent of remote gambling in Norway in light of social-political considerations. Rolf Sims and Åsta Skre, legal advisors to the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs, give an overview of the consultation paper and the underlying aims and motives that the proposal is founded upon.