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Will Springtime in Paris See Open Poker EU-wide?
Fri, Nov 16th, 2007 @ 12:00am
Norbert Teufelberger, CEO and co-founder of Bwin Interactive Entertainment AG (Bwin), whose Ongame Poker Network includes PokerRoom and EuroPoker, told Reuters this week that he is optimistic about European countries getting onto a path towards liberalizing online gambling by next spring, creating more legal certainty throughout the European Union (EU) nations.
"We hope that we will have more visibility in a few months. There won't be a solution yet, but I think one can have a feeling for the direction this is going to take," he said.
And he speaks from a unique personal and business perspective- he had first-hand experience what lengths monopolies have taken to protect their turf.
France arrested Teufelberger and joint chief exec Manfred Bodner last year while it investigated Bwin's French football sponsorships and promotional activities in France which it claimed violated French gaming laws (click here to read related article).
Nevertheless, Teufelberger believes that European countries including France could be on their way towards liberalizing online gambling by next spring, creating more legal certainty in the business.
"There are many signals," says the chief of the Vienna-listed Bwin. "Who would have thought six months ago that France would move politically? There is movement now."
Indeed, France has already indicated a turn in that direction (click here to read related article).
And if a major nation like France took the lead in opening up its Internet betting market to other EU nations, it could start a landside in liberalizing the EUR 3 billion (USD $4.4 billion) online gambling market in Europe.
"There won't be a European Union-wide solution (in spring), but in individual countries," he said. "The UK already has a solution. Our goal is to find one in one or several major countries. If that's going to happen, there will be a landslide," Teufelberger opined.
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