Denmark considering easing gambling monopoly

Danish Finance Minister Christian Jensen took the airwaves to announce a possible relaxation of Denmark's internet gambling rules. In an interview with a radio station, Jensen said the government is looking at possible reforms to allow online gambling companies to do business in his country. If Denmark continues this effort, it will finally end a monopoly that has been controlled by Danske Spiel for 60 years.

Danske Spiel is a national lottery system established in Denmark in 1948, which introduced its first games the following year. Now they offer a variety of games, including numbers, instant, and knowledge games. Although they were only licensed for a year at a time, no other licenses have been granted since Danske Spiel was founded, creating exclusive gambling rights in Denmark. The government receives 80% of the revenue, with the Danish Sports Federation and Olympic Committee and the Danish Gymnastics and Sports Association sharing the rest.

The Danish parliament's reversal appears to have followed pressure from the EU Commission last year on "reasonable opinions" and discussions on the possibility of litigation. The EU found that regulations on sports betting markets in place by Denmark and other EU countries were in violation of EU law and said measures taken to limit these services were unnecessary, disproportionate and discriminatory.

Under the Danish Gambling Act, Danske Spill was the only person who could legally provide and serve Danish gamblers with games, lotteries, and bets. Exclusive provisions led to the prosecution of competitive gambling issues and even newspapers carrying gambling advertisements. This type of monopoly has led the EU to investigate as part of its treaty compliance responsibilities. Denmark is risking further action by the European Court of Justice by taking the time to respond to reasonable opinions that have been published.

Finally, the Danish parliament appears to be holding that position, and the New Alliance party is considering the implications of allowing international competition in the gambling market. Anders Samuelsen, a spokesman for the New Alliance party, has proposed a proposal that could end Danske's monopoly. His comments showed the party's position that it is clearly meaningless to try to protect the cause of the losses given the potential for repercussions that the European Commission will bring.

"The commission will come and take it away, or the monopoly will lose its place over time as more players seek overseas markets," Samuelson said. He continued, "We need to be able to ensure that the money is still available. And new revenue streams will be established by selling licenses to international gaming companies."

EU lawmaker Karin Rees-Jorgensen, a member of the Liberal Party, backed the Danish government's easing, saying it would be better for Denmark to look at other freer countries and how their systems comply with European regulations. In doing so, he said Denmark should be able to create a "perfect system" by reviewing the experiences of other countries currently in compliance.

The possibility of a relaxation of Danish gambling laws has drawn attention from many gaming officials and Denmark is making plans to enter the market. Unibet, an online gambling group, released a press release congratulating the Danes. In the press release, CEO Peter Nylander said he wants to work with the Danish government to "create a modern, regulated, and responsible Danish gambling market."

The main purpose of Danish gambling laws has always been the protection of players. To this end, there is a very strict legal framework in place to control and regulate gaming activities and gambling companies. Part of the reason why Danske Spil has maintained its monopoly is because of a law that allows the tax minister to issue game licenses only to Danish companies established as limited liability companies. Even some of the detailed laws prohibit lottery tickets from targeting Danish citizens. The only way to bypass this restriction is through charities set up in certain cities or geographic areas.

The Danes have been slow to react to the EU, at least in part because of concerns that players will not be protected and that the EU will turn into a freewheeling system for all players, causing many gambling-related problems for the government. Another reason for the delay was concerns about replacing or supplementing the income provided by the government and short-schedule cooperation. Profits have long relied on physical education, culture, and "other purposes for the good of the general public."

In radio interviews such as the announcement on possible changes, Jensen expressed the concerns the government has about allowing international companies to enter the Danish gambling market. The only way the government can open up the market is "if foreign bookers can live up to the strict regulations we have for those who want to provide legal gambling in Denmark." He continued, "I don't want any Wild West situation. I want a regulated market." 프라그마틱 슬롯 사이트

Denmark is not the only country under investigation for gambling regulations. The European Commission has also warned or commented on laws in several countries, including Germany, France, Italy, Hungary and Greece. There have been marked differences in attitudes over the past few months by the various governments involved and some have passed new laws that regulate gambling more generously. Although the Danish parliament has dragged on for over a year, it looks like it will finally be lighter on gambling laws.