Re: Dutch ban online gambling (403 Views)
Posted by:
mandown (IP Logged)
Date: February 19, 2005 12:57PM
This isn't about the evil of gambling, it's about the Dutch government not wanting to have private enterprise threaten its state-run gambling monopoly.
Ladbrokes have a long history of trying to break into various European markets but being thwarted by domestic goevernments with a monopoly to protect. What's not clear is whether European Union competition law supports these governments or not.
On the face of it the laws are all designed to give consumers choice and denying competition to a monopoly supplier clearly doesn't do this.
It's not dissimilar to Betfair wanting to bet on US or Australian racing. Both would be good for consumers but are against the interests of those who currently have a monopoly.
George
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