Belgium Mulls Online Poker Nationalization - 01-07-10 |
January 7 - Belgium
online poker
players could soon find themselves limited to online poker sites that operate
within their country only, according to the Belgian daily De Standaard.
The newspapers reported that the government was on the brink of changing its
laws that govern online poker, by insisting that all foreign poker rooms be
blocked by internet service providers.
The government would thus be regulating, as well as nationalizing the
country's online poker industry.
The new laws would have all online poker rooms physically located in the
country and their operations dependant on a gaming license from the Belgian
government.
Online poker players from Belgium would not be able to play at some of the
top sites that serve the European market, including
Party Poker and Full Tilt
Poker.
"I'm fine with regulating but don't cut off the world," said one online poker
poster on the Two Plus Two forum. "Playing against people on the other side of
the globe and having traffic around the clock is what makes online poker great."
The country has considered changing its laws in the past but has always come
up against strict opposition from the European Union.
The EU contends that any changes to existing laws making it more difficult
for foreign poker sites to compete in Belgium's market are a direct defiance of
fair trade laws that have been signed between member states.
Belgium's new stance may be modelled around the Italian system which has
foreign poker groups forming alliances with local Italian groups to stay in the
market.
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