Corruption in sport and EU Commission infringement processes seem set to take centre stage in European betting’s political agenda for 2008. GamblingCompliance spoke recently to Tjeerd Veenstra, director of Dutch lottery and sports betting operator De Lotto and the European Lotteries Association, to gauge the perspective of state-owned monopolies on both of these critical issues.

The progress of an own-initiative report on online gambling, overseen by the European parliament’s Internal Markets Committee and authored by Danish MEP Christel Schaldemose, has galvanised lobbying efforts by both private and monopoly operators, but it has also depth-charged unexpected levels of concern by MEPs about gambling legislation in Europe. In this exclusive interview with GamblingCompliance, Schaldemose describes the motivations behind the report and her expectations of its next stages.

One year after the Isle of Man overhauled its regulatory regime, GamblingCompliance met up with Garth Kimber, head of e-gaming development at the Isle of Man’s department of trade and industry, during a traditionally busy online industry gathering last week in Barcelona.

De Lotto believes it is in a strong position to maintain its ‘Europe-proof’ monopoly over sports-betting in the Netherlands following yesterday’s preliminary judgments at the European Court of Justice.

GamblingCompliance spoke to Jodie Winnett, the Illinois Lottery’s acting superintendent, about the lottery’s state-approved plans to become the first US state lottery to sell its products directly via the internet.

GamblingCompliance spoke exclusively to Melco PBL subsidiary MPEL's chief executive Lawrence Ho about the Macau casino concession holder's plans for its six-star high roller property, the Crown Macau, and its new mass-market offering, the City of Dreams, which has just completed the first stage of construction.

GamblingCompliance spoke to Margaret DeFrancisco, president of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries, about NASPL’s role in shaping regulatory developments regarding online gambling, and about the development of the US’ first national jackpot game.

Malawi Gaming Board chairperson and former Gaming Regulators Africa Forum (GRAF) chair Scholastica Chidyaonga spoke to GamblingCompliance about some of the political and legislative challenges slowing progress for African gaming regulators.

Finland’s state-owned gaming operator RAY plans to launch into online casino gaming and poker by the middle of next year following recently unveiled changes to the Finnish government’s gambling policy, RAY’s director of gaming tells GamblingCompliance.

GamblingCompliance spoke exclusively to French casino operator Patrick Partouche about the prospects for a liberalization of France’s online gambling market during the course of 2008, and the plans of the Partouche Group to bring existing land-based customers to their emerging online business.