Positive Online Gambling Growth in Europe and Australia

Author: Anton Johan

As online gambling continues to grow in popularity around the globe, so too are the world's leading online gambling firms pushing for symbiotic acquisitions and consolidations, with a particular focus on previously closed and now newly regulated markets in Europe, and even Australia.

Over the last few years online gambling has blossomed in many European countries that have traditionally boasted monopolistic state-run gambling operations. For instance, by 2010 France is expected to end the decades old monopoly enjoyed by its state-run bookmaker, Paris-Mutual Urbain (PMU).

This means opening the way for licensed and regulated online gambling firms to offer their services to the lucrative French gambling market. Similarly the Italian government has recognized that by legalizing online casino, poker and bingo, it will greatly benefit from the generation of taxable revenues.

Even the traditionally 'independent' Denmark seems to have seen the online gambling light, and its government is reportedly planning to grant European online gambling firms access to its gambling market. In fact, there is even hope that the other Scandinavian countries will follow Denmark's example.

But not all European countries are so eager to open up their gambling industries. In Poland, for instance, amidst government corruption charges related to gambling, the country's Prime Minister recently stated that he will seek to make online gambling illegal and increase taxes for the land gambling industry.

However, if the Prime Minister's plans to crackdown on its online gambling industry come to fruition, the country will come under enormous pressure from the European Union (EU) which for years has been pushing for decentralized and open online gambling industries across all of its member states.

It is primarily due to increased pressure from the EU, coupled with the fact that many countries have realized the benefit of taxing their highly lucrative online gambling industries, that so many countries in Europe have opened up or are planning to open up their respective online gambling industries.

Another European country fighting against opening up its online gambling industry is Portugal. In September 2009 the European Court of Justice upheld the nation's right to implement a gambling monopoly on the grounds that it has the right to combat fraud and crime perpetrated by unlawful gambling firms.

The ruling served as  caution to the online gambling industry as a whole that to be accepted and integrated across Europe and elsewhere it must strive to be  honest, legitimate and fair. They must comply with the rules and regulations of the jurisdictions under which they're licensed and be socially responsible.

Australia too is seeking to revamp its online gambling sector, mainly to prevent its online gamblers from spending over AUD$700 million each year on unregulated offshore online gambling sites. Under current Australian law gambling online is not illegal, however it is to operate an online gambling firm.
br> According to a report compiled by the Productivity Commission, an Australian government-funded independent research and advisory body, a solution is to relax the country's online gambling industry to better regulate it, making it safer for Australians, as well as benefit from taxable gaming revenues.