Landmark EU Gambling Study to Be Released

17 April 2006

The long-awaited "Study of Gambling Services in the EU Internal Market" will finally see the light of day.

The Swiss Institute of Comparative Law, together with the University of Salford 's Centre for the Study of Gambling, have executed the survey for the European Commission. The Draft Report will become available on the site of the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law (www.isdc.ch) on April 24, 2006.

The Commission installed the research group "to evaluate how the differing laws regulating online and offline gambling services as well as games in the editorial content of the media and certain types of promotional games impact upon the smooth functioning of the Internal Market for these and associated (e.g. media, sports, charity, tourism) services and thus could restrict the economic and employment growth associated with such services."

The study will probably be the guideline for the European Commission on harmonization, regulations, cross-border issues and other matters.

The Swiss Institute of Comparative Law invites stakeholders to participate in the Meeting of Stakeholders in the EU Internal Market for Gambling Services to be held in Geneva in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, very close to the Geneva International Airport.

Participation is open to official representatives of stakeholders in the EU internal market for gambling services, as defined by the European Commission. These are:

  • the governments of the EU member states;
  • regulatory institutions or agencies established by individual member states to oversee one or more sectors of the gambling industry;
  • investigatory or law enforcement institutions or agencies of individual member states of the EC/EU with competence for gambling activities;
  • suppliers of gambling services and their trade associations at national or European levels;
  • media proprietors and their trade associations at national or European levels;
  • consumer protection organizations and national or European umbrella bodies; and
  • charitable, cultural and sporting organizations and national or European umbrella bodies.

Entrance Fee: €135

Those with observations to make or additional information to contribute to the draft report can e-mail: secretariat.isdc-dfjp@unil.ch.




Rob van der Gaast has a background in sports journalism. He worked for over seven years as the head of sports for Dutch National Radio and has developed new concepts for the TV and the gambling industry. Now he operates from Istanbul as an independent gambling research analyst. He specializes in European gambling matters and in privatizations of gambling operators. Rob has contributed to IGN since Jul 09, 2001.