The Legality of Online Gambling in the EU
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According to EU law, online casinos who want to offer their service in the European Union must have an online gambling license that matches the EU Commission’s safety and quality standards. If you live in Germany or the UK and try to join an. online casino with licenses issued in Malta or Sweden, it is possible you will be blocked from accessing their games.
Twin Casino has two gambling licenses: one from Malta Gaming Authority and one for Swedish Gambling Authority. The Malta GBA requires the provider to have a license to offer their services legally. Twin Casino is a recent example of an online gambling provider with high standards of security and quality.
The casino has stopped offering gaming in UK and Germany. The reason for this is recent legislation changes, including Brexit.
There is no conclusive international gambling law. Many countries' laws are in conflict with others' views on the topic.
There is no EU legislation regarding gambling servicesspecifically. The EU leaves the creation of gambling laws to their members autonomously. There is one law that applies to online gambling providers.
The law on opening a business in any EU country is relevant to the online gambling sector. In Germany, the law has led to a gray area when it comes to legality of online casinos.
The Legality of Online Gambling in the EU is clear. Any EU citizen can freely open a business or offer their business’s services in any other EU country.
In July 2021, Germany legalized online gambling for the first time. The new law states that only the casino providers who own the new German license are allowed to legally operate there. The EU law left them mostly unbothered by German law enforcement.
The German law defines under which circumstances online gambling is allowed. Many casinos that did not meet the criteria have already stopped offering their service in Germany. The license is expensive and has many restrictions. Some casinos are still banned for German players. They might be waiting for the proper implementation of the law and working on meeting the license criteria.
The license is expensive. The provider must pay a security in form of a bank guarantee of up to 50 million Euros. There are restrictions on gambling addiction prevention and the protection of minors.
The 2014 Gambling Act allows casinos to offer their services in the UK. Since the Gering Commission is the only license that allows them to do so.
After the newly introduced law in Germany, questions regarding the legality of online gambling in the EU are still unanswered. Many casinos have halted their services in UK, while they are unsure whether they must renew their UK license after Brexit.
There is no international authority on online gambling laws. The effect on the players is comparably small. Bigger burden is on providers whose livelihood depends on these changes. They will lose players and income, pay higher taxes or fees for additional licenses.
