Betfair have lampooned the Dutch Government after they took steps to ban Dutch gamers from playing at Betfair casino. The Government have blocked banks from making payments to Betfair, meaning Dutch players are no longer able to play for real at the casino. In a complaint to the EU, Betfair have highlighted that countries within the EU are not allowed to stop companies authorised in one member state from utilising the business of another.
Betfair have suggested the Dutch Government's move contravenes EU internal market rules and suggested that the move unlawfully protects Dutch gaming firms. Managing Director of Betfair, Mark Davies, has suggested that "This is a desperate move by the Dutch government to prevent a company that is fully licensed and regulated in jurisdictions across Europe from being accessed by residents in the Netherlands." This isn't the first time Betfair have been blacklisted by a country though. Earlier this year, the Betfair website, along with several others was banned by the Australian Government in a move to allegedly "protect" Australian citizens.
Betfair have now decided to take direct action against the Dutch Government though and are hoping to take them to civil court in Hague. The European Court of Justice has suggested that countries within the EU are allowed to ban gaming, provided it is in public interest to do so and they ban every single gaming firm; not just those outside of the Netherlands as the Dutch Government have done.
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