Below is a press release by the Presidency of the European Union:

Press Release

European Union Sports Ministers discussed games of chance during their informal meeting in Luxembourg

Date of release : 29-04-2005

Policy area : Education, Youth and Culture

Event : Informal Meeting of Ministers for Sports

European Union Sports Ministers discussed games of chance during their informal meeting in Luxembourg. Games of chance are a substantial source of income used to maintain and support the basic sporting structures in EU countries. According to the meeting’s chairman, Luxembourg Sports Minister Jeannot Krecké, the ministers stressed the need to work towards a solution adapted at both national and European level to guarantee sports funding in Member states. With a very large majority, they asked that games of chance be excluded from the field of application of the draft Services Directive in the internal market.

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