Placanica

The ECJ Placanica ruling Case C-338/04 - March 2007

On 6 March 2007, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) found in favour of a Stanleybet agent who had been prosecuted by Italian authorities for taking bets in Italy.

The judgement reinforced the ECJ ‘Gambelli’ ruling of November 2003 which clearly recognised the right of sports betting businesses legally established in one Member State to offer those services in another Member State.

The ‘Placanica’ legislation on sports betting must not contain provisions which, in its words, “constitute a restriction on the freedom of establishment and the freedom to provide services, provided for in Articles 43 EC and Articles 49 EC respectively.”

The Placanica ruling yet again validates what Stanleybet has said all along: consumers in Europe deserve, and are legally entitled under Articles 43 and 49 of the Treaty to, a choice in where they place bets. In addition, it clearly demonstrates that Stanleybet operations are acting with their rights as set out in the EC Treaty.

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