European Countries Oppose Cyber Gambling

Of late many prominent European countries are thinking of legalising online gambling. However, there are European countries that are trying to weed out it in all its formats and made headline news the previous week.

Cyprus Legalization

The Cyprus government is still trying to impose a ban on internet gambling but still awaits feedback from the European Commission (EC). The Cyprus police conducted raids on internet gambling establishments and last week three properties were raided. According to the Cyprus Mail large sums of cash, computer equipment and title deeds were confiscated in the raids.

The owner of one operator had been arrested but no conclusive evidence was found to persecute him and he was released on bail. Loucas Louca, Justice Minister said that the Cyprus government notified the public a few months ago that they would start investigating all parties guilty of operating internet casinos. He concluded, “If parliament passes the bill that will prohibit internet gambling, we’ll try and eradicate it as quickly as possible since it has become a social problem in our country.”

Poland Legalization

The Polish government is determined to not regulate and legalise internet gambling and recently issued a draft alteration to its gambling legislation prohibiting all forms of internet gambling except sports betting. The draft law imposes severe measures against illegal and unlicensed operators as well as those parties found guilty of encouraging any internet gambling activity at illicit sites. Jacek Kapita who is the Deputy Finance Minister of the Polish government recently publicized that he hopes the necessary legislation outlawing internet gambling would be in place by June 2011. In 2009 the Polish government barred internet gambling and it also tried to impose Internet censorship via ISPs-it had to forego it because of stern international pressure.

Netherlands Legalization

The Netherlands is yet another European country that aims to regulate and license internet gambling and said that it would clamp down on unlicensed and unlawful gambling sites operating within the Dutch market. Fred Teeven, junior Justice Minister said that banks in the Netherlands will be given a blacklist of illegal internet casinos and will not process their credit card transactions. However, ANP a news agency pointed out that it’s up to individual banks to decide whether or not they want to follow the government’s request. Internet casinos that have been barred by the government have not been publicized yet.