EU Advocate General: Member States Must Justify Gaming Laws EU Advocate General: Member States Must Justify Gaming Laws
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Key Takeaways
  • The UK Advocate General (UK AG) at the Court of Justice of the European Union has written an opinion that says member states must justify gaming laws and ensure that such laws are consistent rather than arbitrary.
  • In her opinion: “...increasing revenues for the Member State’s government is not an objective capable of justifying a restriction on the freedom to provide services, although that may be an ancillary benefit for the government concerned.”
  • Governments introducing gaming laws on the basis of consumer protection “must ascertain whether criminal and fraudulent activities as well as addiction to gambling might have been a problem.”

Eleanor Sharpston QC, The UK Advocate General (UK AG) at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), has written an opinion that member states must justify gaming laws and ensure that such laws are consistent rather than arbitrary.