Private gaming firms hail French appeal court step

BRUSSELS, Jan 18 (Reuters) - A French court's decision on Friday to check if a national betting monopoly is compatible with EU rules was hailed by gaming firms seeking to prise open the market.

The Court of Appeal of Versailles requested additional information on whether rulings on gaming by the EU's top court were respected by France, the European Gaming and Betting Association said.

The European Court of Justice has ruled that a betting business legally established in one EU state could offer its services elsewhere in the 27-nation bloc and that restrictions can only be for reasons of general public interest.

"We are delighted with this decision," said EGBA Secretary General Sigrid Ligne.

"It is an important one and comes in the general context of the commitment taken by the French authorities to propose a controlled opening of the French gaming market by March 2008."

EU Internal Market Commissioner, Charlie McCreevy, has started legal action against France, saying its ban on private betting restricts EU rules on the free movement of services.

France and Brussels are seeking to resolve the spat.

Friday's court decision centred on a request by Didier Dewyn, former chief executive of Mr Bookmaker -- a betting firm licensed in Malta and now owned by Unibet -- to scrap proceedings against him for organising "illicit lottery" and "clandestine betting on horse races", the EGBA said.

Last October, Unibet Chief Executive Petter Nylander was detained by Dutch authorities after a French judge issued a European warrant for his arrest, accusing him of breaking French betting laws.

McCreevy has started legal actions against 10 EU states for restrictions on competition in their gaming sectors, and he is expected to push ahead with some of them later this month.

Many EU states defend their revenue-spinning gaming and lottery monopolies, saying there was a need to protect consumers from gambling addiction. (Reporting by Huw Jones, editing by Sue Thomas)