Diritto Pubblico Comparato ed Europeo

Sommario

1. Premessa. – 2. Gioco d’azzardo, attività economica e profili di deference della Corte di giustizia. – 3. Valutazione della disciplina organizzativa del gioco d’azzardo nella giurisprudenza comunitaria e nazionale. – 4. Profili di compatibilità di taluni aspetti del regime italiano dei giochi e delle scommesse con l’ordinamento comunitario. – 5. Conclusioni.

Abstract

The restrictive regulatory regimes of gambling and betting adopted by the majority of EU member States have been the object of increasing pressures by private operators. In fact the latter tried to force the opening of national markets relying upon EC Treaty provisions on free circulation of services and on freedom of establishment. The ensuing European Court of Justice (and national courts) case law invites some general reflections as regards the relationship between the central level of regulation and national identity. Questions arise from the tension between the space of discretion enjoyed by Member States, in a field where they are still allowed to make different value choices, and the limits deriving from the EC Treaty law (in particular the proportionality principle) in a field of growing economic relevance.