Parliamentary Questions
Parliamentary Questions 2022
Competition on lotteries and land-based sports betting
STATUS: ANSWERED
Question for written answer E-001426/2022
by MEP Jordan Bardella (ID, France)
In late July 2021, the European Commission opened an investigation into the granting by the French State, under the PACTE law (Law No 2019-486 of 22 May 2019), of exclusive rights to Française des Jeux (FDJ) for lotteries and land-based sports betting for 25 years, which contravenes European Union State aid rules and corresponds to ‘an undue economic advantage’. However, sales of this kind are by no means innocuous. In recent years, public authorities and non-government organisations have noticed an increase in aggressive advertising by online gambling companies aimed at a young, innocent audience. According to the 2019 Santé publique France (SpF) Health Barometer, quoted by Le Dauphiné on 9 July 2021, 63% of the revenue generated by sports betting comes from people suffering from addictions. According to France Info, 70% of online sports betters are aged under 35. In this context, does the Commission believe that it is appropriate to push even further for the liberalisation of lotteries and sports betting, with the inevitable increase in advertising that this will entail directed at the youngest, most dependent and most vulnerable groups?
Answer
On 26 July 2021, the Commission opened an in-depth investigation to assess if granting exclusive rights to Française des Jeux (FDJ) for the operation of lottery games and operation of land-based sports betting games, is in line with EU State aid rules. The investigation concerns the remuneration to be paid by FDJ and not the liberalisation of the lottery or land-based sport betting games. The opening of an in-depth investigation gives France and all interested parties the opportunity to comment on the measure in question. It does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation. There is no sector-specific EU legislation for regulating gambling services, or for preventing and addressing gambling addiction. Member States are free to regulate their gambling activities as they see fit, as long as they comply with the rules of the internal market as established by the EU Treaties and interpreted by the European Court of Justice.
Date: 09-04-2022
Application of Article 2(2) of Directive (EU) 2015/849 on exempting providers of certain gambling services from provisions to prevent money laundering
STATUS: ANSWERED
Question for written answer E-000787/2022
by MEP Martin Schirdewan (The Left, Germany)
In accordance with Article 2(2) of Directive (EU) 2015/849 on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing, following an appropriate risk assessment, Member States may decide to exempt, in full or in part, providers of certain gambling services from national provisions transposing that directive. In such cases, Member States are required to notify the Commission together with a justification. 1. Which countries have made use of Article 2(2) since the introduction of Directive (EU) 2015/849, and which providers of certain gambling services in those countries have thus been exempted from national provisions transposing that directive? 2. Is the Commission aware of any cases where a Member State’s decision to apply that article was inappropriate?
Answer
Twelve Member States (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Sweden, Slovenia, the Netherlands) have notified decisions to exempt, in full or in part, providers of certain gambling services from national provisions transposing Directive (EU) 2015/849 on the basis of the proven low risk posed by the nature and, where appropriate, the scale of operations of such services. The list of exemptions is available in the Official Journal of the European Union. The European Commission is not aware of cases where a Member State’s decision to apply exemptions under Article 2(2) of Directive (EU) 2015/849 was inappropriate.
Date: 24-02-2022