Websites told to block Dutch gamblers

RNW, 28 February 2012

Major international gambling concerns have been told they have to block Dutch players from their websites and telephone services, NOS reports. This is the ruling by the Supreme Court of the Netherlands in a case brought by De Lotto against British company Ladbrokes.

De Lotto is the only company in the Netherlands with a licence to run lotteries and games of chance in which the participants pick their own numbers. The court has ruled that De Lotto’s monopoly position is not in violation of European free trade agreements.

De Lotto saw Ladbrokes’ gambling sites and telephone betting services as unfair competition and decided to take the matter to court. The ruling means that hundreds of sites will now have to cease their activities in the Netherlands.

The ruling was ten years in coming, as the Supreme Court decided to wait for a judgement by the European Court of Justice. It remains unclear what action the Dutch authorities can take in cases where foreign gambling concerns fail to comply with the Dutch ruling. New policy on gambling is currently being drafted.