Citizens Petition EU Against State Online Casino Bans
One of the features of the Lisbon Treaty, the reform of European Union rules, is the right to petition by residents to the European Commission. As the treaty awaits only the approval of the Czech Republic for ratification, the first use of petitioning is already underway, as signatures are gathered to protest state betting monopolies which block access to foreign online casinos.The gambling protest needs one million signers to be advanced to the EC. The document asks the EC to enforce free trade regulations on countries trying to maintain gaming monopolies and to restrict licensed Internet casinos from other EU countries.
The campaign is organized under the name Right2Bet, and singles out such nations as Germany, Sweden, and Finland as violators of the EU's open market policies.
"Betting fans in Europe are fed up of being told by politicians how and where they can bet," said Right2Bet spokesman Michael Robb. "It's perhaps a sign of the Internet age that, through online petitions like our own, we can mobilize and unite consumers from across the continent for a common goal and really make EU politicians sit up and take notice."
EU rules already exist against the trade infringements, but prosecution of violations has been slow, tedious work at best, with political interference preventing strenuous enforcement.
