Luxembourg government approves sports betting
A recent statement by the Prime Minister and representatives of the Luxembourg Ministries of Justice, Sport and Social Policy sheds light on the operation of the state lottery organisation Loterie Nationale. According to the document, under the current 2009 legislation in force, the organisation is fully entitled to expand its sports betting offerings both through a network of distributors and online, without seeking additional authorisations from the ministries.
Based on the law on Loterie Nationale, the state-owned platform can organise sports betting with strict transparency and accountability rules. The new loteriesport.lu website was launched to offer legal betting to local players. This decision is motivated by the desire to protect users from illegal operators and to create a safe gaming environment.
Loterie Nationale actively implements measures to combat gambling addiction and prevent financial losses:
Transparency
Risk warning
Limit control
Responsible engineering
The organisation operates under the Œuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte, a public institution overseen by the Prime Minister. Unlike private operators, Loterie Nationale is not influenced by shareholders and channelled its profits into social projects and support initiatives.
To ensure honesty and exclude fraudulent schemes, Loterie Nationale co-operates with trusted partners and strictly monitors the payment process. The only exception to the country's gambling monopoly is Casino 2000.
The situation with gambling in Luxembourg is ambiguous, as evidenced by an enquiry from parliamentarians. State control can indeed minimise the risks, but gambling addiction can play a cruel joke on the country's inhabitants, especially in light of the fact that one in five of them is below the poverty line.