Key Takeaways
- The Portuguese regulator SRIJ has been assiduous in consulting over the regulations which will apply to the regulatory regime imposed by new gaming laws. However, the changes in the regulations that have resulted have now been submitted to the EU Commission which imposes an automatic three month standstill period before they can be implemented.
- The new regulations must follow the notification procedure, which means that the new licenses cannot be issued until after the three month standstill period has expired.
- If no attempt is made to reduce the time for which operators are out of the market, there will be no avoiding an inevitable exodus to poker rooms which do not offer the same consumer protection levels as the Portuguese regulations intend to apply. The new Portuguese laws which have the objective of improving consumer protection will begin by exacerbating consumer harm.
The Portuguese regulator SRIJ has been assiduous in consulting over the regulations which will apply to the regulatory regime imposed by new gaming laws. However, the changes in the regulations that have resulted have now been submitted to the EU Commission which imposes an automatic three month standstill period before they can be implemented.
