Private Gaming Operators on the Placanica Decision

Various I-gaming companies have both noted and welcomed today's judgment handed down by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in the Placanica case, which suggests state gambling monopolies are in contravention of EU legislation providing for the free movement of services. The case, an ongoing dispute over Italian legislation prohibiting the cross-border provision of betting services before the ECJ, is precedent-setting in the eyes of many industry observers, including Unibet CEO Peter Nylander, who in a prepared statement vehemently remarked: "We are now all looking forward to the creation of a new, modern gambling market within EU. The time for monopolies is over."