eCOGRA Welcomes First Pan-European Consumer  Protection Agreement for Online Gambling

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

London, 23 February 2011 - eCOGRA CEO and the Chair of the CEN workshop agreement on “Responsible Remote Gambling Measures”, Andrew Beveridge, today welcomed the publication of this first Pan-European consumer protection agreement by CEN.

CEN is the European Committee for Standardisation, one of three European Standardisation Organisations officially recognised by the EU (http://www.cen.eu/). CEN draws up voluntary technical specifications, such as a CEN workshop agreement, to help facilitate a single market for European industry and consumers across its members in 31 European countries.

This CEN workshop agreement on “Responsible Remote Gambling Measures” (16259) defines 9 policy objectives for the protection of online players in the European Union and 134 concrete measures to ensure that those objectives are actually met.

EU Court of Justice rules that national gambling monopolies must be regulated in a consistent and systematic manner and that sanctions cannot discriminate between local and international providers

The ECJ confirmed in all cases its case law that EU member states have wide discretion to regulate their local markets by means of monopolies and to protect their citizens against risks associated with games of chance. As a consequence, they are not obliged to recognize licenses for the provision of games of chance granted by other member states. However, if they regulate games of chance by means of granting monopolies, they must do so in a manner proportionate to the public policy objectives pursued and in a non-discriminatory fashion.

PPA Calls on Congress to Put Americans’ Priorities First During Today’s House Financial Services Markup on Internet Poker Bill

Washington, DC (July 27, 2010) – John Pappas, Executive Director of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide, released the following statement in advance of today's House Financial Services Committee markup on H.R. 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act. 

Written by Amy Zupko

Woman Poker Player Magazine   

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 18, 2010 – Online casinos came on the scene right alongside the mainstream introduction of the internet. As people found a new way to communicate and do business, gamblers also found a new outlet.  Software originators such as Microgaming and Boss Media AB were formed in the mid 1990’s with Cryptologic being credited with developing the first interactive casino able to process real money financial transactions in 1996. Literally thousands followed suit until the market became saturated with online casinos. As the online gambling boom happened, global governments had a hard time keeping up with how to control the newly budding commerce.  It became apparent that the industry needed a medium to address issues and to present a unified front to lobby for regulation and to protect the industry.

The IGC has many roles in support of the gaming community including leading global lobbying efforts on behalf of its membership. The remarkable growth of internet gambling has many governments, most notably the United States debating suitable legislation, some suggesting an outright ban.