European Punters Swindled by State Run Gambling Monopolies During World Cup

Right2bet, a pan-European consumer campaign, fighting for all EU citizens to have the right to  bet with the licensed EU operator of their choice, has determined that European punters were getting 32 percent worse odds from state-run gambling monopolies than those offered by private betting companies. 

Monopoly customers wishing to back their home nation in South Africa were subjected to 35 percent worse odds than those being offered by the EU-licensed private sector operators that their governments do not allow them to use, the report noted. 

The startling figures have been revealed in the Right2bet World Cup Report which analysed the odds offered on every World Cup match by seven of Europe’s biggest betting monopolies, before comparing them to the equivalent prices being offered by other licensed European operators.

The report essentially demonstrated that Europe’s betting monopolies were short-changing their customers via the help of legislation which protects existing marketing dominance. 

Right2bet spokesman Ari Last said: “The figures emanating from this report are quite shocking. Millions of EU consumers who wanted to bet during the World Cup were subjected to hugely inferior prices by the monopolies that their governments strive so hard to protect.”

“The protectionist behaviour of certain Member States when it comes to online gambling is a situation that does not conform to the ethos of the single-market, and we hope that the findings of this report will highlight what is undoubtedly an unjust reality.”

The report also noted the counties worse off, including two that made the semi-finals:  The Netherlands (which lost to Spain in the finals) and Germany. 

Country breakdowns:

·         Germany: 48% worse off

·         Sweden: 40% worse off

·         The Netherlands: 35% worse off

·         France: 31.5% worse off

·         Greece: 31% worse off

·         Denmark: 14.4% worse off