UK, Malta dig in heels over EU gaming initiative
3 Dec 2008
BRUSSELS -- As reported by Reuters: "Britain and Malta teamed up on Monday in a bid to head off moves by EU president France to forge a bloc-wide policy for regulating the multi-billion euro gambling industry.
"France put forward a discussion paper to a meeting of the bloc's 27 industry ministers that said there were "already grounds for seeking a common approach".
"In the past, gambling could be dealt with nationally, but the rise of cross-border online betting undermines this.
"...The issue is politically sensitive as it touches on important tax revenues and traditions in many countries. Online gaming firms are battling many governments as they face barriers to operating freely in some countries..."