Home / Poker News December 2008 / Year’s End poker news
Year’s End poker news
Posted by: James Carter. - Wed, 2008-12-31 19:18
According to the Remote Gambling Association, the settlement that Party Gaming co-founder Anurag Dikshit has reached with the US DoJ a couple of weeks ago represents a blatant breach of international law.
In a move meant to secure the protection and support of EU authorities, the Remote Gambling Association has pointed out that in Dikshit’s case, the US authorities involved showed utter contempt for the legal right of European online gambling and poker companies, while in the same time completely ignoring their international commitments put forth in the General Agreement on Trade in Services.
Dikshit’s case obviously sets a dangerous precedent which will allow the DoJ to pursue other European poker and gambling companies as well as business owners the same – apparently illegal - way. The RGA was also alarmed by the fact that EU commissioner Peter Mandelson’s request in which he demanded that the US freeze the prosecution of issues like that of Anurag Dikshit also fell on deaf ears.
In other bad news for the online gambling and poker community: Mexico seems to be eyeing a UIGEA-like ban on online gambling. The reports that indicate such an option is on the table are rather sketchy at the moment, and it is not clear whether the move will affect online poker as well as casino gambling. A Mexican Congressional Committee is apparently pushing to have slot machines legalized in the country while having online gambling placed outside the law in the same move. We’re bound to know something more accurate about the legal initiative in April 2009, when a Congressional vote is likely to take place in the matter.
Italy on the other hand, opens up to online poker. Playtech has broken into the Italian market a while ago but now four of the sites offering poker to Italian residents belong to the network. One of the few European countries which have adopted a free-market approach to online poker, Italy’s online poker industry has exploded recently, with Cogetech SpA, Sisal SpA, Eurobet Italia SpA and Snai S.r.l all offering such services for the Italian poker fans.
