Sectors

The Olympic Committee has just taken a stand: "sports competition" video games are contrary to the "Olympic values", because of their violence.

Can we do anything else? More or something else?

The case is a gap. Indeed, sports activities are regulated in the most traditional way, by administrative texts, administrative supervision, delegations, judicial control. There are rules, both legal and ethical. The most sophisticated rules have been developed, notably on "permissible violence" and that which is not, for example in the field of boxing or rugby, through the notion of "rules of the game".

Video games are at first sight quite different.

They are regulated by other bodies of rules and other regulators, such as the Regulatory Authority for Online Games, when they are played in the digital space.

But the Regulator of online games does not at first sight have competence to apply the "rules of the game" in the perspective of what sport is and the particular integration of the distinction between permissible violence and inadmissible violence.

Assuming that it extends its competence to that dimension, the fact that the blows carried are only "virtually" should necessarily modify the contour and the application of the rules, transforming this regulator of games into a regulator of sports.

Conversely, assuming that the sports regulators are concerned, it is necessary that the analogy between "game" and "sport" should be strong enough for the extension to take place legitimately.

The criterion that poses the problem is precisely le notion of "violence".

Read more below.

Internet needs to be regulated, but by whom and from what criteria?

The high speed building of very different cases shows the urgency of reflections on the principles.

Consider the case in which just entered the British Regulatory Authority Advertising  Standards Authority (ASA). Thiss Authority isn't specific to the Internet but the fact the behavior takes place on the Internet doesn't stop the Regulator, the ASA applying its control on "all media".

An Irish betting company organized bets about a future event: conviction or acquittal of Oscar Pistorus for the death of his fiancée. The latter doesn't deny being the author of the fatal blow but claims that he isn't responsible legally.

The website reproduces the accused of a very recognizable way in the form of an Oscar statuette. This is due to the homonymous first name and the statue of the reward. But this is also a triple ambiguity created by the company.

Secondly the statue can't walk as the athlete si one takes off his prosthetic that made him win races.

Thirdly and more than that, if convicted, he remains in prison, Oscar Pistorum would continue to be deprived of his freedom to come and go, and therefore still unable to "walk" freely, the betting firm indicating that it will reimburses money if the accused will "walk" (out of prison - as a sort of miracle ...).

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Watching that, more than 5,000 people protested. But before whom? In this excess of regulators, people turn to perhaps the most dynamic: in the UK it is probably the Advertising  Standards Authority (ASA) .

But what to blame?

One could have said that it is illegal to bet on the outcome of a trial.

One could argue that you can't bet about a terrible history, whose center is the death of a young woman.

But it's rather toward the disability side and "minority rights" that the case is taking shape. Indeed, associations see it as primarily a mockery of people who can't walk.

Without further developed if the ASA takes a position on this advertising that the company has since removed, it will take a strong position in the regulation of the Internet and could for example clarify and prioritize the interests that must be respect in the virtual world.

Virtual currency is a perfect example of the difficulties of interregulation: indeed, the bitcoins are currencies created on the Internet, usually to play games, such as poker. Thus intersect banking regulation, banking supervision, regulation and control of the game, Internet regulation itself.

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Regulating the gambling market: quality-based versus price-based competition

Translated Summaries

ENGLISH

In 2010, the Autorité française de régulation des jeux en ligne (ARJEL — French Online gambling regulatory authority) decided that operators should have required all players to open an account even before they had been approved by the ARJEL to provide online gambling services, that all players should have been required to accept the general conditions of sale before their first bet, and that operators should have saved this information in a real-time archival format.

Account - Appeal - Appeal right - Data - Food - General power - Incoherence - Independence - Information - Legal mandate - Licence - Money laundering - Procedure - Real-time storage -Registration - Regulator - Sanction commission - Surveillance *

* In The Journal of Regulation, these keywords are done by the Editor and not by the Author.

FRENCH

En 2010, l’autorité française de régulation des jeux en ligne (ARJEL) estime qu’un opérateur aurait du exigé de tous les joueurs qu’ils ouvrent un compte avant son propre agrément par le régulateur, et que les joueurs acceptent les conditions générales de vente avant leur première mise, ces informations devant être insérées par l’opérateur sur le support d’archivage en temps réel. Ainsi, l’antériorité est acquise, cette certitude évitant toute manipulant et l’opérateur pouvant ainsi surveiller, comme le prévoit la loi, les joueurs, notamment au titre de la lutte contre la fraude et le blanchiment d’argent.

* In The Journal of Regulation, these keywords are done by the Editor and not by the Author.

Informe temático (el Juego): La Comisión Disciplinaria del ARJEL decidió que no era competente para sancionar a un operador aunque el Presidente del ARJEL las haya pedido. El Presidente del ARJEL ha apelado la decisión

En 2010, la Autorité française de régulation des jeux en ligne (ARJEL – el Regulador francés del juego en la red) decidió que todos los operadores deben requerir que todos los jugadores abran una cuenta aun antes de que hayan sido aprobados por ARJEL para proveer servicios de juego en la red, que todos los jugadores deben haber aceptado las condiciones generales antes de su primera apuesta, y que los operadores debieran haber guardado esta información en formatos actualizados.

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Other translations forthcoming.

ENGLISH

In February 2011, the "Autorité de régulation des jeux en ligne" (ARJEL – French Online Gambling Regulatory Authority) has asked Pokerstars to shut down its Home Games, which the online gambling site has agreed to do. After that,the regulator has written to all operators to remind them that any modification of their platforms must be submitted to it for prior approval. This appoval has been given on may, 12, 2011. The Home Game is reserved to players, which account member has been validated by Pokerstar.

ITALIAN

Relazione tematica (Scommesse): L’autorità francese di regolazione dei giochi on line (ARJEL) ha omologato il The Home Games’ Pokerstars, dopo aver annullato

Durante il mese di febbraio 2011, la "Autorité de régulation des jeux en ligne" (ARJEL – l’Autorità francese di regolazione delle scommesse online) ha richiesto alla società Pokerstars di interrompere il suo Home Games e la società si è conformata a tale richiesta. Successivamente, l’Autorità di regolazione ha scritto a tutti gli operatori ricordando che ogni modificazione della loro piattaforma dovrà essere sottoposta alla sua autorizzazione. Il 12 maggio 2011, è stata concessa questa autorizzazione. The Home Game è dunque riservato a degli utenti, il cui account è stato controllato e confermato da Pokerstars.

Translated Summaries

In The Journal of Regulation the summaries’ translation are done by the Editors and not by the authors

ENGLISH

Thematic Report (Gambling): The European Commission, despite specific taxation measures, has approves the Danish law of liberalisation of online gambling.

On September 20th 2011, the European Commission declared the new law liberalising gambling in Denmark in line with EU rules. This law creates lower taxes for online casinos than for land-based one, and the Commission declared it compatible with European state aid rules, since the positive effects of the liberalisation of the sector outweigh potential distortions of competition.

ITALIAN

Relazione tematica (Scommesse): La Commissione europea, nonostante i provvedimenti di imposizione specifici, ha approvato la legge danese di liberalizzazione di scommesse online.

Il 20 settembre 2011, la Commissione europea ha dichiarato che la nuova legge che prevede la liberalizzazione delle scommesse in Danimarca è conforme alla legislazione europea. Questa legge crea delle tasse meno importanti per i casino online rispetto a quelle che colpiscono i casino fisicamente esistenti. La Commissione ha dichiarato che tale legislazione è conforme alla legislazione europea in materia di aiuti di stato, in quanto gli effetti positivi della liberalizzazione di questo settore hanno un’importanza maggiore delle potenziali distorsioni della concorrenza.

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Other translations forthcoming.

Translated Summaries

ENGLISH

On the 16 september 2011, the German Land of Schleswig-Holstein is the first in Germany to implement a law on online gambling, which appears to be one of the most modern and liberal in Europe.

FRENCH

Le 16 septembre 2011, le land allemand de Schleswig-Holstein est le premier en Allemagne à appliquer une loi sur les jeux en ligne, qui semble être l’une des plus modernes et des plus libérales en Europe.

SPANISH

Informe Temático (el Juego): El Land of Schleswig-Holstein alemán implementa una nueva ley sobre el juego en la red.

El 16 de septiembre del 2011, el Land of Schleswig-Holstein alemán es el primero en Alemania de implementar una ley sobre el juego en la red, lo cual aparenta ser una de los más modernos y liberales en Europa.

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Other translations forthcoming.

ENGLISH

Main information

The implementation of the Transfer Matching System (TMS) on October 1, 2010 was announced by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) as a first step to regulate international player transfers through an increased transparency of these human and financial flows.

Main information

The European Court of Justice handed down a judgement on September 9th 2010 in which it ruled that two criteria of the Austrian Glücksspielgesetz (the Federal Law on Games of Chance) violated articles 43 and 49 EC, that is to say the freedom of establishment and the freedom to provide services.