Update, European Online Gambling Regulations
The Netherlands implemented their own version of the UIGEA. Unlike the U.S., online-gambling is legal in most European countries. However, legal gambling takes place only in strongly protected state owned monopolies.
The Dutch law pretends to stop players from gambling online on foreign private sites, by keeping banks from processing transactions towards a list of sites, which was elaborated by the ministry of Justice.
The measure is but an example of a tendency, in which most countries are challenging the European Union’s official position: To put an end to protectionist measures favoring state companies in the EU.
In Sweeden, State owned monopoly Svenska Spel presented a lawsuit against Ladbrokes. The company used a logo with a remarkable resemblance to Skvenka’s in its recent advertisement campaign in Sweden.
Ladbrokes has systematically challenged the legitimacy of Svenka, by offering themselves as a cost effective alternative that will eventually become beneficial for customers.
Finally on Denmark the poker community cheerfully received news that the supreme court as accepted to examine an appeal which attempts to derogate a 2007 law restricting poker tournaments in clubs across the country.
