Following the release of the European Commission’s Green Paper on Online Gambling towards the end of March 2011, the body has announced the release of a public follow-up consultation in the form of a questionnaire.

The Green Paper on Online Gambling was met with mixed reactions from interested industry parties and influential online gambling trade associations like the Remote Gaming Association and the European Gaming and Betting Association were worried about the apparent lack of commitment to enforce fundamental EU principles such as free movement of goods and services, and the trend toward individual and fragmented national approaches to regulation.

Primarily an information collecting exercise, the Commission is inviting market participants, national governments, national authorities and any other interested parties to participate by completing and submitting the questionnaire by 31 July 2011 in order to determine the need for, and the form of any European Union follow-up action in the online gambling field.

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Senator Louis Correa’s bill SB 40 in California, proposing the legalisation of intrastate online poker, could gain further support following recent amendments that increase the number of licenses achievable from one to five. Still restrictive and protective of local companies, the licenses will enable Indian tribal groups and established card rooms to operate online poker websites.

The amendment gives Correa and his supporters significantly more manouevring room, and were implemented late last week, presumably with the continued support of the California Online Poker Association (COPA), the California Nations Indian Gaming Association CNIGA) and the California Gaming Association (CGA).

The amendments suggest the issue of three licenses immediately the bill is approved by the legislature and the governor.

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