Gambling monopoly days may be numbered
In the wake of an EU Commission lawsuit against Denmark, the government, with the help of the New Alliance party, is investigating the possibility of allowing international competition on the national gambling circuit.
According to New Alliances Anders Samuelsen, who will later this week put forth a proposal suggesting the end to Danske Spils gaming monopoly, there is no longer any point in protecting something that will be lost anyway, referring to the lawsuit against Denmark by the European Commission.
Since 1949, Danske Spil has been the official authority in charge of all the countrys gambling enterprises. The Danish government owns 80 percent of the shares in the organisation, while national sport and recreational unions own the remaining 20 percent.
Either the commission will come and take it away, or the monopoly will over time lose its footing as more players seek markets abroad, said Samuelsen.
We must be able to guarantee that the money is still available, he said. And by selling licences to international gaming companies, a new source of income will be established.
Karin Riis-Jørgensen, a Liberal party member of the EU parliament, applauded the governments new stance, saying that Denmark ought to look at other countries experiences to make the perfect system that could live up to EU regulations.
2008-04-30
