Press Release

10/03/2009

Online Gambling: Social and public order aspects must be considered. Eija-Riitta Korhola MEP

The European Parliament today adopted the Report on the Integrity of Online Gambling with an overwhelming majority (544 in favour, 36 against and 66 abstentions). Eija-Riitta Korhola MEP, EPP-ED Spokeswoman on the issue, is happy with the outcome of today's vote: "The Report takes into account the core issues in the debate."

Gambling is strictly controlled in the majority of Member States in order to protect citizens against addiction and fraud and to prevent money laundering, crime as well as game-fixing. "As the adopted Report stresses, a pure internal market approach is not enough, but social and public order aspects must be considered", stressed Korhola.

The Report underlines that Member States have an interest and a right to protect the culturally-built structures which finance sports activities and other social causes. It is in line with the White Paper on Sports adopted by the European Parliament in 2008. "In many EU countries, the profits from gambling are used for the benefit of society, including funding for education, health, professional and amateur sport, culture and science", said Korhola.

"Online gambling has also many times higher addiction potential than land-based gambling, and consumer protection and crime prevention are more difficult to achieve. Therefore, I am happy the Parliament has today agreed again that national legislations should not be replaced by industry self-regulation, and that the principle of subsidiarity, as recognised by the European Court of Justice, has been respected", Korhola concluded.

By calling for gambling integrity, the EPP-ED Group wishes to prevent problem gambling and under-age gambling, in addition to fighting fraud and crime. This is done by supporting the development of standards for online gambling age limits, banning credit and bonus schemes as well as offering information and help to vulnerable and addicted gamblers.

For further information:
Eija-Riitta Korhola MEP, Tel: +33-3-88-177472
Antti Timonen, EPP-ED Press Service, Tel: +32-474-851831

Notes to Editors:
The EPP-ED Group is the largest political group in the European Parliament with 288 Members from all 27 Member States.