Ladbrokes Faces EU Probe Over ‘Virtual’ Betting in Belgium

(Bloomberg) -- Ladbrokes’ “virtual” betting concession in Belgium faces a European Union probe to examine if it has an exclusive right to operate that is an unfair state subsidy.

The EU investigation follows complaints from two other gaming operators after Ladbrokes, owned by GVC Holdings Plc, won the right to operate digital betting kiosks in stores from 2014 and online from 2015. Other operators were denied the same rights in 2015 and 2016, regulators said in a press release Wednesday.

“The commission has concerns that the authorization granted to Ladbrokes may have resulted in the betting company enjoying a de facto exclusive right to operate virtual betting in Belgium since 2014, without any remuneration in favor of the Belgian state by Ladbrokes in return,” the EU said. “The commission has doubts that it complies with EU state aid rules.”

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