European Online Gambling  Legislation:
The Placanica Ruling

In Europe, different countries have different  approaches to the issue of gambling. Some countries tend to be more permissive,  others outlaw gambling with the exception of very special circumstances. The  issue of online casino gambling is still a relatively new one, and many European nations are still  trying to work out the best approach

European Online Gambling Legislation: Placanica

One of the most important decisions in the world of European online gambling  came in March of 2007. Known as the Placanica Ruling, this decision by the  European court of justice ruled that Italy  could not prosecute the provinces of Placanica and Massimiliano for allowing  betting without a license from Italy

The Placanica Ruling

In this case, a company called Stanley Leisure, which was listed on the London stock exchange,  operated gambling activities using Italian data transmission centers. The state  hoped to prosecute the provinces that housed these transmission centers, but  the European court of justice rejected their claim

The Reasoning Behind the Placanica Ruling

The ECJ decided that countries were entitled to restrict gambling freedoms for  moral, religious or cultural reasons. However, the presence of current Italian  gaming operations and the Italian practice of issuing gaming licenses indicated  that this was not the issue in this particular case.

The Future and Implications for European Online Gambling

The implications of this ruling are far reaching, since the ruling suggests  that European countries that allow gaming within their borders cannot restrict  sites providing online slots, blackjack etc. that operate in those countries. How far reaching  this freedom will prove to be is not entirely clear at this point. However, the  ruling struck a strong blow for European Internet gambling.

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