European Commission Warns Malta Against EU Law Non-compliance
The European Commission has ordered Malta to comply with E.U. rules, after it determined Article 56A in the country’s Gaming Act was unfairly protecting Malta-licensed operators from being taken to court in another E.U. state.
Article 56A was introduced as an amendment to Malta’s gambling act in 2023. The clause insisted that Malta would not uphold any European court judgment that deemed their services illegal in that market.
The clause is a reflection of Malta’s interpretations of the E.U. ‘s Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which Malta says allows services (like online gambling) to be provided across E.U. states.
In response to the EC letter, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) defended its laws and upheld its belief the TFEU enables its services to be offered across the EU.
Majority Plead Not Guilty in U.K. Election Betting Scandal
The UK Gambling Commission’s general election betting case hit Southwark Crown Court in London last week for the 15 people previously accused of betting on the date of last year’s U.K. general election.
The accused allegedly used insider information, resulting in charges of cheating under Section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005.
Of the 15 facing charges, 12 have denied the charges, while three did not enter a plea. Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s parliamentary private secretary and former Montgomeryshire Member of Parliament Craig Williams were among those not entering a plea. Former police officer Jeremy Hunt and Jacob Wilmer, a special advisor for the Conservative Party, also gave no indication of their pleas.
The case dates back to an investigation launched by the regulator in June 2024 after an operator flagged that a bet had been placed on the date of the upcoming general election, by someone it considered politically sensitive.
Veikkaus Dismisses Claims its ‘Abusing its Market Position’
Finnish monopoly operator Veikkaus has been reported to Finland’s Competition and Consumer Authority (Kilpailu- ja kuluttajavirasto) by Swedish horseracing operator ATG for “abusing its dominant market position” in Finland.
The claim suggests Veikkaus is trying to maintain a competitive advantage in the soon-to-be liberalized Finnish remote gambling market.
Finland is preparing to open its iGaming market to private operators from January 2027. Veikkaus will operate an independent licensed business which competes with others.
In a statement to iGB, Veikkaus has denied the claim it is abusing its market position. Hanna Kyrki, EVP, general counsel for Veikkaus, said the allegations made by ATG about the abuse of its position are “incomprehensible and completely false. We categorically deny them.”
ATG has also called out Veikkaus for its plans to stop distributing Swedish trotting races to the Finnish public, a move ATG Director for Finland Mikael Bäcke says has already commenced.
“ATG and Veikkaus have been partners since 2008 and, during this time, Finns have placed bets on all Swedish horse races. Over the past 10 weeks Veikkaus has limited the number of Swedish races that are available to their customers,” Bäcke told iGB.
Norway MP Looks to Finland and Denmark for Open Market Inspiration
Norwegian Progress Party MP Silje Hjemdal has reiterated the party’s desire to end the country’s gambling monopoly and is looking to its Nordic neighbors for inspiration.
The Progress Party has been calling for an end to the gambling monopoly in Norway since its 2021 election manifesto. With the next general election scheduled for Sept. 8, Hjemdal has reaffirmed her party’s plans to make significant changes to the current framework.
Speaking at a May conference held by Norway trade body Norsk Bransjeforening for Onlinespill, Hjemdal pointed to fellow Nordic nations Finland, Sweden and Denmark as remote gambling frameworks to learn from.
However, she told the audience the party is not yet sure which model Norway would follow. “I haven’t landed on a concrete model, but I think what’s happening in Denmark is very exciting. And I’d gladly take a study trip there to learn more,” she said during the conference.
This is the closest Norway has been to liberalizing its remote gambling sector, NBO chief Carl Stenstrøm previously told iGB. He believes the market could be opened by 2028.
