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London-based online gambling company turns to EU authorities in
[February 02, 2006]

London-based online gambling company turns to EU authorities in


(Hungarian News Agency Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)Budapest, February 2, 2006 (MTI-ECONEWS) - Sportingbet, an online gambling company based in London, announced on Thursday that it has turned to EU authorities in a dispute with Hungary's Gambling Commission over advertising.



Sportingbet advertises its services in Hungarian on the internet, encouraging Hungarian citizens to play online roulette and poker, or place bets on Hungarian sporting events. The Gambling Commission argues that this advertising is illegal, because Sportingbet is not licenced as a gambling operator in Hungary, as required by law.

Sportingbet argues that prohibiting a private company from performing the same activity as a state-owned company goes against EU principles, which is why it has turned to the EU authorities and to Hungary's Constitutional Court on the matter.


The Commission said that all licenced gambling companies, state-owned or private, are allowed to advertise in Hungary. Sportingbet, however, holds no such licence.

The Gambling Commission said it had no knowledge of any initiative taken by EU authorities on the matter, but noted that they would be informed of any steps taken. The Commission added that because there are no uniform regulations on gambling in the EU, it is up to each member state to determine its own rules.

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