EPFL calls on French parliment to Support Law on Online Sports Betting

In a letter sent yesterday to the Minister for Finance of France, Mr Eric Woerth, the EPFL CEO, Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, has conveyed the EPFL full support to the French draft bill on online gambling and betting to be discussed this week within the French Parliament.

Writing on behalf of the Association and its 28 member Leagues and 932 affiliated clubs, the EPFL Executive has stressed how the exponential growth of sports betting and new types of betting services and products on sports competitions could represent a significant threat to the game’s reputation through increasing allegations of match fixing and growing influence of illegal gambling syndicates.

The EPFL and its affiliated Leagues have undertaken a wide range of actions to tackle this cross-border problem and protect the integrity of their competitions from this detrimental behaviour. These actions have involved a significant cost burden and, without clear discipline and regulation, such as the one proposed by the French Government, remain insufficient.

Besides recognising the essential link between the economic value of the exploitation and protection of commercial property rights and a sustainable, equitable, fair and clean sport in Europe, the French draft bill, if adopted at European level, would undoubtedly provide unequivocal advantages to each Member States in terms of fiscal revenue, funding of good causes, fight against illegal betting and consumer protection.

Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros concludes his letter by stating: “By establishing a clear framework and a consistent and effective enforcement regime, we believe that the French draft bill provides a balanced and adequate response to efficiently combat illegal betting, while ensuring, at the same time, the indispensable protection to the commercial property rights of sports bodies. We hope this initiative may encourage other EU Member States as well as the relevant EU institutions to follow the French Government example and support similar measures”.

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