THE GAMBLING MARKET When Estonia was part of the USSR, all types of
gambling activities were banned even though illegal casinos still operated despite the prohibition. However, the real history of gambling in Estonia began once the country was released from Soviet rule in the early 1990s. Te country was so eager to bring foreign investment into the country it dished out licences like confetti.
In 1994, the government took a regulatory approach and enacted the Lottery Act and a year later the Gambling Act. Tis saw four types of gambling introduced – games of chance, games of skill, totalisators and betting. Te gambling market boomed and there were 90 plus casinos and gaming halls in Tallinn alone by 2008 and more than 170 casinos and gaming halls in total across the country.
In 2009, the new Gambling Act 2008 was introduced providing a tighter legal framework to help curb underage gambling and included regulations for online gaming.
At the time, only Estonian companies could operate online gaming, but the market was
P86 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / MARKET DATA l
opened up further in 2011 and permitted foreign operators in a bid to boost revenues. Tese companies must obtain an Estonian gaming licence to operate.
Te issue of activity licences and operating permits falls under the Maksu-Ja Tolliamet (Estonian Tax and Customs Board – EMTA).
l
Today, the Estonian gambling sectors are governed by the Gambling Act 2008, the Gambling Tax Act plus the State Fees Act and General Law on Economic Activities Act and Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Act.
Te Gambling Act of 2008 includes the following:
l
Types of gambling permitted are games of chance (gaming tables, slots etc); lotteries (classical and instant); Totos; games of skill; remote gambling (introduced in 2011); commercial lottery and tournament games of chance.
l
Licences are not required for - skill games where the win is to re-enter the game;
lotteries with a prize pool of less than €1,000 and commercial lotteries.
l
Operators of games of chance can be organised by a Public Limited Company or Private Limited Company with a share capital of at least €1m.
Operators of games of skill can be operated by a public or private limited company with share capital of at least €25,000.
l
Toto operators must be public or private limited companies with share capital of at least €130,000.
l
An Operating Permit is issued for the opening of a gaming location to operate games of chance, Toto, games of skill, organising remote gambling or organising a lottery. Tese are issued for five years (lottery and remote gambling) or 20 years (games of skill locations) and five to 20 years (games of chance and Toto locations).
Players must be over 21 years of age, whilst over 18s can play the Toto. Lottery is restricted to over 16 years of age.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228 |
Page 229 |
Page 230
