Online gambling magnate questioned by Belgian police

The co-chief executive of Austrian online gambling company bwin.party was questioned by Belgian plain-clothes police officers after making a speech at a conference in Brussels yesterday, the Daily Telegraph reports. Norbert Teufelberger was chairing the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA)’s Responsible Gaming Day at the Solvay Library, near the European Parliament. He agreed to leave with officers after a networking lunch and left questioning shortly before 18.00. Bwin.party has been in dispute with Belgium’s gaming authorities after it was placed – along with several UK companies – on a blacklist of unlicensed operators this year. The Belgian Gaming Commission has blocked all unlicensed websites, including two linked to bwin.party. However, Teufelberger reportedly told analysts this month that bwin.party still had “some Belgian business” as a block is never “100 percent safe”. Peter Naessens, legal adviser to the Belgian Gaming Commission, said authorities wanted to question Teufelberger about his comments after they appeared in the press. “They [bwin.party] are saying loud and clear that they do not want to respect the Belgian legislation,” said Naessens, adding that it was illegal to operate without a licence in Belgium. Bwin.party, which sponsors Real Madrid, vigorously disputes Belgian gaming legislation, believing it to be in breach of European law. Online gaming regulations in Belgium are much stricter than in many other European countries and licences are restricted to operators that have a partnership with land-based casinos. Bwin.party has previously applied for a Belgian licence but it was rejected. The EGBA has made a complaint to the European Commission about the legislation. Bwin.party confirmed Teufelberger “was requested to attend an interview” and had “complied voluntarily”. Teufelberger, who has been co-chief executive since 2001, before its merger with Party Gaming, was arrested in Monaco in 2006 following similar allegations by French authorities. Nick Batram, analyst at Peel Hunt, said: “Regulation is a minefield across Europe. Today’s events are a reflection of the challenges operators face.”