The panel included such authorities as Alderney regulator Andre Wilsenach, who is the head of conformity at Betfair and Rolf Francis Sims the adviser to Norway’s ministry of Culture.

Alarming news, to say the least, is that Norway’s Mr Sims, confirmed news reports that Norway is considering implementing their own version of UIGEA, to cover its own markets.  Such a manoeuvre would be a body blow for efforts towards a more free online bingo market in Europe.

Also, Alderney’s Andre Wilsenach, painted a thoroughly gloomy picture of the overall lack of progress, commenting there wasn’t enough support for a online gambling industry as state monopolies remained in control. This piece of news will certainly not cheer online bingo operators, already dealing with the body blow of the recent crack-down in the US market for online bingo operators in europe.

Norway’s Rolf Sims, says that the online gambling industry is in for a few years of unsettlement, and added that it is his conviction that the European Court of Justice is increasingly uncomfortable with the role imposed on it by the EU’s attempts to free up the market from state-run gambling monopolies.

There was a very strong tone of dis-satisfaction expressed from the floor regarding the current way Norwegian policy was working.  One audience member said that Europe seemed more interested in protecting its state-run monopolies than in developing consistent standards.