We were delighted to see the World Online Gambling Law Report publish a feature length peice wrtten by right2bet. The  Magazine is read widely by a varied mix of lawyers, legislators and EU politcians, and we're thrilled that they've been preesnted with our position in the latest edition.

Below is the article in full. To view it on the WOGLR site and to subscribe to their service go here:

Right2bet  Bringing The Consumer's Voice To A Traditionally Corporate Issue

Right2bet is a pan-European coalition of consumers, betting operators, online web portals and media publishers all united in their desire to see the European online betting market liberalized.

Our core belief is that all EU citizens should have the right to bet with whichever licensed EU operator they choose, regardless of which Member State their chosen provider operates from.
We're tired of Member State governments protecting their lucrative state monopolies at the expense of the welfare of their citizens, and our aim is to give the public a platform from which they can voice their frustrations.

The battle between operators and the monopolies has been going on for some time, yet never before has the consumer taken centre stage on the issue. At right2bet, we're trying to achieve this by engaging the public as best as we can, and by highlighting to them succinctly why this issue is important, primarily to those who gamble of course, but also to those who don't.

Our website, which is offered in 15 different languages, hosts a petition that aims to take advantage of the new European Citizens Initiative that was adopted when the Lisbon Treaty was ratified.( It states that should a petition of 1 million signatures be brought to Brussels, the Commission will be compelled to act upon it.)

Aside from the petition, the site offers users the chance to send an email to their MEP, asking them to raise the issue in Parliament. It also hosts our daily blog and gives users the the chance to rant, post photos and learn more about the current legislative situation. 

We're building a strong presence across several social media outlets and internet blogs, with webmasters being encouraged to host our voting widgets which allow their visitors to sign our petition without leaving their site.

We've been delighted with the response and while we've been active in looking to recruit partners and supporters we've been thrilled by the fact that so many people- individuals and groups - have contacted us, asking  if they can become a part of the campaign.  Lawyers in Germany, employee unions in Italy and major news sites in France have proactively sought to join the cause and they along with some large EU operators are now part of right2bet.

Our ambition is twofold. We want to effectively bring this issue into the consumer's consciousness and then at the same time give them the necessary tools to stand up for their rights that are being infringed upon.

There's no question that consumers are losing out. Those forced to bet with state monopolies are forced to accept inferior odds, inferior products and inferior choice to many of their European counterparts. What's more, in our opinion, they are being offered a service which offers less consumer protection as well.

There is no hiding from the fact that many of those who are being prevented from betting legally online are finding ways around the system to get their bets on.  Instead of providing their citizens with a transparent, legal framework within which they can wager, governments are funnelling their citizens into the murkier sphere of black market betting. It is a situation that benefits neither the state nor the consumer, yet this reality is one that lawmakers seem keen to ignore.

We certainly don't advocate illegal betting or any breaching of current national laws. The welfare of the consumer is our chief concern and we would support any legislation that we feel would not only offer the greatest amount of value and enjoyment but protection and safety too.

European law is undoubtedly complex, and we fully understand that there are needs and traditions of different localities which require careful consideration and protection, even during a time of wider integration.  It is not our intention to ignore this and we see no value in fighting for a consumer's specific right at the expense of others.  We appreciate that certain freedoms need to be curtailed in order to protect others and are fully supportive of this logic - we are not anarchists.

However, arguments for a restricted online gambling market simply fail to make a compelling case.

In our opinion, it is unquestionably the case that Member State monopolies are being supported, not in the interest of the public, but in the interest of Government balance sheets.  We say this not to be uncouth or controversial, but rather because we have seen no evidence to suggest otherwise.

Those that argue for the monopolies point to them being better equipped to protect against problem gambling, yet independently published reports have proven this to be untrue. In fact, a recent study conducted by Mark Griffiths, Professor of Gambling Studies at Nottingham Trent University found that very few Member States have even carried out sufficient research on the topic.

They say that monopolies will protect against fraud and money laundering, yet it is almost common knowledge and in our opinion undeniably true that private operators offer the most sophisticated systems of crime prevention along with the most stringent of KYC checks.

Lawmakers claim that they restrict the market in order to protect their citizens from the dangers of gambling, yet at the same time they offer them the same products, marketed in the same manner with the one difference being that the state holds the key to the coffers. It's a hypocritical status quo that is almost comical in its clarity.

This scenario where an Englishman can earn twice as much having staked the same amount on the same bet as his French neighbour - as highlighted in our innovative Charity Betting Challenge - is absurd.

Europeans have shown an increasing desire to share and trade innovation and quality service seamlessly cross-border. The EU was founded on the notion of this fundamental principle, and we're disgusted by the fact that when it comes to online gambling, this core building block is being ignored.

The situation needs to change and the monopolies need to be disbanded or at least forced to go toe-to-toe with private operators. A competitive environment will see EU bettors benefit in the same way that they benefit from healthy competition in many other sectors. Increased choice of markets, better functionality and better odds will ensue, and vitally, so too will a higher standard of consumer protection.

Millions of Europeans who enjoy a bet no longer wish to be treated as if they need protecting from their government on this issue, particularly when that same government has the audacity to offer them a poorer version of the exact same service.  The vast majority of Europeans who gamble are not addicts and do not have a problem, and the ones that do, would be in better hands if the betting market was liberated and regulated.

We are extremely passionate about our cause because it is one that if heeded to will genuinely benefit all involved, the state, the operators and most importantly the consumer.

We've enjoyed an exciting and progressive first three months. The broad coalition of partners that we have built so far gives the campaign a unique constitution and the events and media releases we've laid on have effectively announced our arrival into the debate. Over 10,000 signatures have been collected but our intention is to see that number rapidly increase.

A new satirical, online video campaign titled 'Renegade Ref' will be launched imminently and new features to the website, including a monthly competition will also be introduced. We're continuing to work hard in signing new partners up and as a result are confident that the campaign will go from strength to strength.

There is no fixed end date to our campaign. We intend to provide consumers with an increasingly effective voice until they are sufficiently heard and as we expand our charity betting challenge and introduce a new odds comparison tool, our methods of portraying just how consumers are missing out will become increasingly engaging and sophisticated.

We firmly believe that the laws we support have already been written. We believe wholeheartedly that logic is on our side and we look forward to the day when all EU consumers are rightfully awarded their deserved right to bet.

Ari Last

If you're interested in becoming an official partner of Right2bet then please be in touch at ari@right2bet.net

To visit right2bet and sign the petition go to www.right2bet.net