Jim Henson would be proud

Further to my comments about Europe yesterday, I see William Hill have taken the same approach as Sportingbet.

Their submission to Greece states:

We are in favor of a free approach to the online betting sector, but nevertheless we believe that special treatment should be given to betting exchanges.

OPAP could make a submission which says, “We are in favour of opening up the betting market, so long as it is only to us”. Everyone would laugh, but in fact, it wouldn’t be any different from what William Hill and Sportingbet are writing, except by a question of degree. All of them are saying the same thing, which to a legislator reads as follows: “We are in favour of a free approach to the online betting sector, except where it doesn’t suit us for competitive purposes”.

An alternative reading of it might be this:

“European Lotteries Association and defenders of monopolies at the expense of competition and everyone having a fair go, please come in. The field is wide open. Do as you please. We in the private betting industry would prefer to shoot ourselves in the foot.”