The Gaming Regulators European Forum, or GREF in its abbreviated form, consists of representatives from gaming regulatory organisations throughout Europe. Its two main objects as stated in its constitution are:

1. to provide a forum in which European gaming regulators can meet, exchange views and information and discuss policy on gaming matters; and
   
   
2. on special occasions and with the agreement of participants represent the different views of European gaming regulators and also provide a central point of contact for enquiries directed at them from authorities or related organisations in Europe and elsewhere.

GREF was founded in 1989 as an association of gambling regulators. At its meeting in Ljubljana on 12 May 2000, 52 participants were present from 20 European countries (Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom). Also two regulators from Australia and the United States of America attended this meeting as special guests.

Under the chairmanship of Jouni Laiho (Finland), major items on the agenda were the gaming on the Internet and European Union developments.

The dominant topic was Internet developments. Two regulators from Australia and the United States of America acted as guest speakers on this matter. The Forum decided to study this subject further and convene a meeting of the GREF Working Party on Internet Gambling concurrent with European Association for the Study of Gambling (EASG) congress (Warsaw, Poland; September 21 – 23, 2000).

GREF also discussed extensively the consequences of the decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union in the Finnish Läärä case and the Italian Zenatti case. In both cases, the Court states that the considerations set out in the Schindler ruling, related to the organisation of lotteries, are equally applicable to other comparable forms of gambling, such as slot machines or sportsbetting. The two rulings also confirm that the member states of the European Union are allowed to restrict or to ban certain gaming activities on their territory for reasons of public interest such as consumer protection, prevention of crime or the prevention of gambling addiction, and other social policies.

Other items on the agenda included introduction of the euro and sweepstakes and free games.

The Forum elected Christian Hess (Switzerland) as a new member of the Executive Board of GREF.

The Forum agreed that next years meeting will take place in Sweden.

An Internet site for GREF (www.gref.net) is currently under construction and will be opened this autumn. Apart from general information on GREF, this site will contain links to European gaming regulatory offices.


More information on GREF is available through its secretary Tom Kavanagh (Gaming Board for Great Britain, tel. + 44-207-3066255) or its administrator Eric van Vondelen (Netherlands gaming control board, tel. + 31-70-3614422).