18 September 2013 | Joint Seminar
This seminar was jointly organised by the EU Centre in Singapore and the Centre for International Law, NUS
Online gambling regulations and the crisis of legal modernity
Introduction
Online gambling is a fast growing service activity in the world.
On the one hand, the economic significance of the sector is clearly shown by the high level of innovation by gambling operators all over the world, as well as by the increasing amount of tax revenues generated in those States that allow this activity. On the other hand, one also has to consider the social relevance and impact of the phenomenon of gambling via Internet as it is widely perceived to be more attractive and convenient vis-a-vis traditional casinos.
From the perspective of governance and regulations, the worldwide legislations on online gambling share in common some tasks: how to counter criminal activity; to address negative social and economic effects of gambling addiction; to safeguard and protect consumer rights and interests, and to apply profits from gambling’s taxes to objectives which are in the public interest or socially beneficial.
However the states’ sovereignty in regulating online gambling is highly compromised and constrained at least by two circumstances: international commitments and regulations about free trade, like those employed in the EU and WTO systems; and what we could call lex electronica, indicating with this expression all technical rules concretely governing the Net. Indeed, recent history has showed that in an online environment it is virtually impossible for States to address online gambling individually: the effects of online activities are not tied to specific geographic locations; rather, they exist everywhere, nowhere in particular, and only on the net.
About the Speaker
Dr Salvatore Casabona is Associate Professor of Private Comparative Law and Adjunct Professor of International Trade Law at University of Palermo. He has been awarded several visiting and research fellowships taking him to the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, London, Mikolas Romeris University in Vilnius, University of Macau and Universidade Federal Fluminense – Rio de Janeiro.
His research interests run wide through family law, environmental regulation and justice, comparative law methodology, mixed jurisdictions, and European law. His latest research focuses on online gambling regulatory strategies and transnational online gambling contracts. Dr Casabona has produced original research on important topics and was rewarded with several national and European funding.
