EU warning of online gambling "explosion"
According to The Parliament, Members of the European Parliament have endorsed a report that says member states should continue to hold the right to control gambling and sports betting.
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Deputies overwhelmingly voted in favour of an own-initiative report by Danish Socialist member Christel Schaldemose on the 'integrity' of online gambling.
Some 544 voted in favour of her report with 36 against and 66 abstentions.
The outcome of Tuesday's vote came amid widespread concerns voiced by many MEPs about illegal betting behavior and match-fixing.
Schaldemose said there had been an 'explosion' in online gambling.
UK centre-right MEP Malcolm Harbour wrote in an alternative report that parliament had "missed an opportunity" for a more open gambling market.
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"Several member states continue to have their heads in the sand, failing to recognize the realities of a dynamic gambling market."
He said the situation in the UK "has proved how a liberalized, but effectively regulated market, can achieve both a high level of consumer protection and integrity in online gambling."
