Quote:
Originally Posted by khalifa
Thanks a lot for the legal consulting. Again very helpful input. Are you working in this line of business?
No legal consuting expertise, just a bit gobby.
I have done responses to five or six UK consultations, about half on gambling issues (Point of Consumption Tax, licencing foreign suppliers, Licencing Conditions, Self Exclusion)
It amazes me that individuals don't use this mechanism to get their view accross. The consultations are a legal requirement, they have to pay attention to them and crucuially for a bureaucracy or for future political lobbying any warnings you make are there in the record for you to say told you so. What you say in a consultation goes direct to the decision makers in a way that is logged that they were told. Better than random letters to opinion formers or even ministers where the person paid to do their mail reads them, in a consultation the civil servant giving advice and drawing up the law reads them.
The way to use the system best is to pose awkward questions for them. The consultation is about checking that their actions are reasonable and proportionate, in the UK at least that can be tested at the European Court, Switzerland is a bit odd as all that is in bilateral trade agreements but the same general rule applies - they can restrict gambling but only in a way that is reasonable and proportionate for the stated aims.
If the concern is about limiting casino stakes to casino enterprises for consumer protection saying that banning penny stakes unavailable in casinos is unreasonable and is different tests that proportionality for the intended aims of the law. Given that online the vast majority play at sub casino stakes that is a problem for them and their legal team.
Last edited by Richas; 07-03-2014 at 02:10 PM.
Reason: Added a bit