CELEX: 62019CB0920
Language: en
Date: 2021-05-18 00:00:00
Title: Case C-920/19: Order of the Court (Seventh Chamber) of 18 May 2021 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Landesverwaltungsgericht Steiermark — Austria) — Fluctus s.r.o., Fluentum s.r.o., KI v Landespolizeidirektion Steiermark (Reference for a preliminary ruling — Article 99 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court of Justice — Article 56 TFEU — Freedom to provide services — Restrictions — Gambling — Dual system of organisation of the market — Monopoly on lottery products and casino games — Prior authorisation for the use of automatic gaming machines — Advertising practices of the monopolist — Criteria for assessment — Constitutional case-law finding the national legislation to be compatible with EU law)

9.8.2021   
            
            
               EN
            
            
               Official Journal of the European Union
            
            
               C 320/9
            
         
      Order of the Court (Seventh Chamber) of 18 May 2021 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Landesverwaltungsgericht Steiermark — Austria) — Fluctus s.r.o., Fluentum s.r.o., KI v Landespolizeidirektion Steiermark
      (Case C-920/19) (1)
      
      (Reference for a preliminary ruling - Article 99 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court of Justice - Article 56 TFEU - Freedom to provide services - Restrictions - Gambling - Dual system of organisation of the market - Monopoly on lottery products and casino games - Prior authorisation for the use of automatic gaming machines - Advertising practices of the monopolist - Criteria for assessment - Constitutional case-law finding the national legislation to be compatible with EU law)
      (2021/C 320/10)
      Language of the case: German
      
         Referring court
      
      Landesverwaltungsgericht Steiermark
      
         Parties to the main proceedings
      
      
         Appellants: Fluctus s.r.o., Fluentum s.r.o., KI
      
         Respondent: Landespolizeidirektion Steiermark
      
         Other party: Finanzpolizei Team 96
      
         Operative part of the order
      
      
                  1.
               
               
                  Article 56 TFEU must be interpreted as not precluding a dual system of organisation of the market for games of chance on the sole ground that the advertising practices of the holder of the monopoly on lottery products and casino games aim at encouraging active participation in gambling, for example by trivialising gambling, by conferring on it a positive image because revenues derived from it are used for activities in the public interest or by increasing its attractiveness by means of enticing advertising messages holding out the tantalising prospect of major winnings.
               
            
                  2.
               
               
                  The principle of primacy of EU law must be interpreted as requiring a national court of a Member State to disapply a provision of national law which is contrary to Article 56 TFEU, including where a higher court of that Member State has held that that provision was consistent with EU law.
               
            
         (1)  OJ C 161, 11.5.2020.