Great Danes offer EU bettors glimmer of hope

Since we launched our campaign some six months ago, we've spent much of our time lamenting the goings on in Member States such as France, Holland, Poland and Germany as they continue to propose legislation which restricts the ability of their consumers to gamble freely, safely and securely. So it was with much pleasure that we received the news that Denmark were taking great strides to liberalize what up until now had been a closed shop. A new bill proposed to the country's Parliament last week put forward plans to make online gambling licenses available to foreign operators, which would ensure that the current monopoly Danske Spil, would no longer be the sole choice for those citizens wishing to bet on sports or play poker and casino games. Our Betting Challenge has shown that Danish consumers forced to use Danske Spil make 23% less profit than their EU neighbours who are allowed to bet with a wide range of providers. A lack of value is the common consequence of any industry devoid of competition, and this sorry scenario is the same of all other EU punters being forced to use their state betting provider. Fortunately for the Danes, it appears that better odds are on the way. What we at right2bet particularly like about the proposal is that it does not include the type of taxation regulations which would dissuade foreign operators from entering the market for commercial reasons – a tactic used recently by the French. We commented a couple of weeks ago on the French plans to offer licenses to operators which they full well know won't be taken up, due to the high amount of tax that anyone entering the market would have to cough up. Thankfully, we don't foresee this being the case in Denmark, and we fully expect several European operators to apply for a gambling license there. What this means is that soon enough, Danish consumers should have a decent choice available to them when placing their wagers, and this is great news. There are some aspects of the Danish proposal which we're not entirely happy with. Certain products will only be offered by the monopoly, while a six month lag between now and when the first licenses can be obtained is unnecessary in our opinion, however all in all, and particularly considering the recent exploits of the aforementioned French and Polish, the Danish development is something worth getting excited about. Sign our petition at www.right2bet.net.