A European Commission green paper on online gambling, which was scheduled for this week, has once again been postponed.

First announced in October 2010 by Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier, the paper is now set to be released next week. The official reason for the postponement is the Commissioner’s trip to China, but stakeholders fear that internal pressures in the College of Commissioners are undermining the consultation project.

Malta is eagerly awaiting the green paper’s publication as the island is one of the main hosts in the EU of hundreds of online gambling companies.

These employ hundreds of locals and contribute considerably to Malta’s economic growth. Some member states have tried during the past years to block online gambling companies from offering their services in their territories. However the Commission has initiated legal procedures against these countries arguing that these restrictions are not compliant with its rules.

Mr Barnier’s aim is to launch a debate that involves gambling operators as well as regulators, researchers and citizens in order to determine what types of European initiatives could address the online gambling trend.

The Commission’s document is expected to be cautious in its approach to establish the foundations of the debate as objectively as possible. Its goal is to answer the key question on whether measures at national level are sufficient to ensure the protection of citizens from illegal gambling operations or whether minimum regulation at an EU level is more effective.

The 50 questions which are expected to be raised in this green paper aim in particular to highlight the similarities and specificities of each national market for online gambling services and the Commission will be addressing risk-based issues, such as those affecting the integrity of the sport or game in question, player protection and public order, as well as assessing the degree of addiction that is inherent to each type of game.

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