By Neal Farran | February 26, 2008

Commissioner Charlie McCreevy has been increasing the pressure on national gaming monopolies within the frame of the European Union. After starting procedures against Germany and Sweden, McCreevy has turned his sights on Holland and Greece’s gaming monopolies.

Reuters reported that the European Commission led by Charlie McCreevy is preparing to issue a final warning to Greece and the Netherlands before taking them to the European Court of Justice like Sweden and Germany. Reuters’s unnamed source said that "[the European Commission is] expected to pursue the cases against Greece and the Netherlands for restrictions in sports betting services, barring any last-minute change of mind."

There will be a meeting later this week where commission officials will make their decision regarding a final warning, depending on whether they agree that these countries are breaking European trade regulations through discriminatory practices, considering that the ECJ has ruled that EU states can restrict gaming within reason and without discrimination. According to Reuters a spokesman for McCreevy announced that the Commission would discuss legal action at its meeting on Wednesday, with any decisions made public on Thursday.

EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy is very active in ensuring fair gaming practices across the EU, and his team is carrying out legal actions against 10 of the EU's 27 member states to ensure that no protectionism, discrimination or monopolies are in place.

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