World News

Follow the money. That’s sound advice about learning the truth behind much of the activity that takes place in business, politics and military action. In recent days a few interesting pots have started to boil, with the European Union, gaming authorities and gambling associations as ingredients. The Finland Slot Machine Association has been in the mix during the process of extending new games of chance in that country.

 

The island nation of Malta, an EU member, is watching new EU Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier to see what action will be taken with the issue of online gambling and restricting participation in this industry. Barnier and others will be dealing with the idea of “monopoly” and the free movement of gaming companies in the EU. The commissioner has shown a tendency toward allowing gambling and licensing restrictions, though media reports state that he stopped short of endorsing monopoly.

 

Most recently, the European Union’s Court of Justice is also dealing with the issue of restricting gaming and casino licenses. Apparently, Austria has a law in place that limits such licensing to companies based in Austria. EU laws were written to make sure that these types of restrictions wouldn’t exist.

 

In the 1990s, the European Union expressed four basic freedoms: “movement of goods, services, people and money.” Whether this philosophy will be preserved remains to be seen.