SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Industry umbrella organisation The European Lotteries (EL) has published its manifesto ahead of the European Parliament elections.
The document contains eight key points that EL will focus on to maintain support for European communities during the parliament’s next term.
Safeguarding the role of national lotteries for society is exactly the first point that the manifesto opens up with, taking a reminiscent look back at 2010 when the EU Council “recognised the positive impact lotteries make for society”.
EL called on policymakers to keep safeguarding the “sustainable lottery model” in order to ensure the ongoing lotteries’ position as a “force for good in society”.
The second point in line is keeping the fight against illegal operators strong, with EL welcoming the concept of ‘trusted flaggers’ in the new European Digital Services Act as the necessary tool needed to keep illegal offerings away from the EU market.
Number three is urging EU institutions and EU Member States to ensure that all gambling operators are being subjected to taxes in the country of the consumer, while having all the necessary licensing to be operating there.
Speaking of consumers, under the fourth point of the manifesto the EL has explicitly stated that the current non-legislative approach of the European Commission towards the lottery sector must be maintained, so that all Member States continue to ensure that all necessary needs for consumer protection are met on a local level.
Moving on to number five, the EL is also calling for a risk-based approach to advertising, as marketing “plays a crucial role in channelling consumers towards the legal and safer offerings”. The manifesto notes that this approach should be handled responsibly at a national level, with high-risk games being placed under more rigorous rules than low-risk offerings such as lottery games.
The sixth spot is reserved for artificial intelligence (AI), with the EL warning that the technology is capable of harming the industry as much as it can benefit it. The umbrella body notes that AI implementation should be met with careful assessment in line with existing EU legislations.
Under number seven, the EL endorsed the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions and its definition of ‘illegal sports betting’, which constitutes that “any sports betting activity whose type or operator is not allowed under the applicable law of the jurisdiction where the consumer is located”.
The last point in the manifesto was reserved for the national lotteries’ sustainability strategy, which calls on EU policymakers to take into account the unique characteristics of lotteries every time future discussions are being put forward on Europe’s environmental taxonomy.
