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Following the policies of the United States under the Bush administration has gotten Holland in to hot water with the international community.  Not only has the European Commission warned Holland that their ban that restricts banks from processing transactions from online casinos is in violation of the European treaty, leading online gambling operator Betfair is now suing the country.

It is a two strike deal for the country, but Holland seems to be boldly defying the rest of the continent.  The ban on banking transactions is very similar to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, passed by conservatives determined to destroy online casinos operating in the United States.

According to European Union trade agreements registered online casino operators like Betfair can legally offer their services in any member nation of the European Union where similar services are already legally supplied.  Despite this well known clause in European trade agreement, Ernst Hirsch Ballin, the Holland Minister for Justice, has sent a blacklist of online casinos and Internet gambling companies to the nations banks.

Not even the Holland banking system is on board with this plan to block online casinos.  However, they have received ‘strong encouragement’ from Minister Ballin to adhere to the blacklist.  It is not clear in what form that encouragement was delivered.

The actions of Holland “fly in the face of the EU principles of open and fair competition,” said Mark Davies, Managing Director of Betfair.

“The Government's objective of shutting out foreign operators while feather-bedding domestic monopolies and protecting a cosy cartel cannot be allowed to continue.”

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