|
PokerPages > Poker News > Poker News
Poker News - Poker News
Search News:
Take Sweden to Court to End State Online Gambling Monopoly Says Major Daily NewspaperWed, Jan 16th, 2008 @ 12:00am In an open letter to European Commission (EC) head Charlie McCreevy, former and present editors-in-chief of Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, Anders Gerdin and Jan Helin, call for the EC to require the Swedish government to permit free movement of trade and services relating to online gambling, particularly in the fields of poker and sports betting, between the 27-member nations as guaranteed by EU law.
Aftonbladet, the biggest daily newspaper in the Nordic region, and other media including their chief competitor in Sweden, Expresen, as well as several Danish newspapers, say they are being attacked by the state gaming monopolies and being forced not to accept ads from EU-based online gambling companies who compete with the state gambling monopoly Svenske Spel. Aftonbladet is itself facing three cases, based on its belief that accepting competitive advertising from other EU nations is not punishable under EU Treaty-based legislation. The letter also details inequities in the Swedish official approach to gambling advertising which favors state monopolies like Svenske Spel. Besides court costs, Aftonbladet editors point out that not being able to take such advertising will cause severe financial damage to the media outlets. Aftonbladet alone stands to lose up to Sweden Kronor SEK 80 million (USD $12.5 million, Euro 8.5 million, or GBP 6.4 million) each year in lost revenues if thte Swedish government forces them to reject outside advertisements. The letter, which was published 15 January and reproduced by eGaming Review, emphasizes the need for "strong and decisive" measures by the European Commission to address the Swedish non-compliance and thus ensure that companies like Aftonbladet do not suffer. BLIND JUSTICE IN SWEDEN The letter also notes that Swedish courts are blindly following the 2004 Swedish High Administrative Court ruling that Swedish gaming regulations are compatible with EU law, though it was based on no real assessment of proportionality. The letter also points out that Swedish courts follow the surprising High Administrative Court evaluation that there is no legal basis to ask the ECJ for preliminary judgment whether Swedish gaming law is compatible with EU law. PRIOR EC STEPS AGAINST SWEDEN NOT ENOUGH In June of 2007, the EC issued a Reasoned Opinion saying that the Swedish government is in violation of EU law. Usually a two month window is given to redress this situation and come into compliance with EU law. But little has been done since then to bring relief to companies suffering as a result of continued prosecution and pressure by Swedish officials (click here for related article). The editors conclude their appeal by urging the European Commission to "proceed as soon as possible" with its pending infringement procedure before the ECJ against the Swedish government relating to sports betting, and "to initiate a similar infringement case in relation to the poker field."
The editors closed their letter saying, "It is high time to put an end to the Swedish government's lack of respect for the EU Treaty." Read Related Articles:
More Poker News Articles
Moon and Cada Heads-Up, Ivey 7th at WSOP Main Event Final Table After a marathon session at the most esteemed table in the poker world, a 21-year-old and a logger are set to go one-on-one for the World Series of Poker Main Event bracelet.
PokerStars Launches New UK and Ireland Poker Tour PokerStars.com has announced the start of a new poker tour with stops throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. The UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) will kick off in Galway, Ireland in mid-December, and the first event in the UK will be held in Manchester in February.
Peerless Media Agrees to Purchase World Poker Tour Enterprises According to a Monday press release, WPT Enterprises Inc., mothership of the World Poker Tour, is now the rightful property of Peerless Media, Ltd., subsidiary of online giant PartyGaming.
Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho Hit the Amazing Race Rail After surviving six legs of the Amazing Race by the skin of their teeth, poker pros Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho were finally eliminated in the CBS reality show's most recently aired episode. Michelle and Ho, the last women standing in the 2008 and 2007 World Series of Poker Main Events, gave reality television fans another chance to watch poker personalities compete away from the felt. Annie Duke garnered quite a following earlier in the year on another reality show competition, NBC's Celebrity Apprentice.
Isaac Baron Dominates Caesars Classic Main Event Isaac "westmenloAA" Baron ran over the final table of the Caesars Palace Classic $5,000 Main Event, amassing a huge chip lead and going home with the $246,928 first prize. It took two long days to narrow the 162-person field to the final ten. A very high percentage of the entrants were recognizable tournament circuit players, and unsurprisingly, the stacked field produced a tough final table lineup.
Tonight- ESPN shows Day Before WSOP Main Event Final Nine are Set- Oct 27 Tonight (Oct. 27) at 9pm ET, ESPN will broadcast highlights of action on the day before the Final Table of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event was set. Only 27 players remain when this one-hour show begins.
Frenchman Wins PokerStars EPT Warsaw Poker Tourney At the PokerStars European Poker Tour Warsaw No Limit Texas Hold'em main event that wrapped up yesterday, French businessman Christophe Benzimra finished first taking home 358,644 Euros in prize money, while Italian poker pro Alfio Battisti finished second in the tournament.
Vedes Conquers WPT Festa al Lago Final Table Tommy Vedes is the WPT's newest champion! Vedes outlasted 274 players to win the Festa al Lago title and the $1,218,225 first prize. Freddy Deeb, who began the final table with the chip lead, hoped to win his third WPT title and tie Gus Hansen's record. Instead, Deeb was forced to settle for 4th place, leaving room for a new WPT champ. Click here for in-depth coverage of the action and photos from the final table.
Will Hungarians Get Taxed on Poker Soon? Hungarian lawmakers have plans to tax poker winnings and regulate clubs to generate much-needed revenues during the country's worst economic crisis since the end of communism, reports Germany's Deutsche Weele.
Freddy Deeb Leads World Poker Tour Final Table The WPT Festa al Lago Main Event is down to the final six after five tough days of play. Two-time WPT champion Freddy Deeb brings the chip lead along with the benefit of his under-the-lights experience into Monday's televised final table. Deeb previously won the WPT Season III Aruba Poker Classic and the Season VII Celebrity Invitational. He also owns two World Series bracelets and has amassed over $6 million in tournament winnings. A win on Monday would add $1,218,225 to that total. Click here for photos from the felt and final table chip counts. |
 Online Poker »
Poker News »
Blog Coverage
Top News
Moon and Cada Heads-Up, Ivey 7th at WSOP...
PokerStars Launches New UK and Ireland... Peerless Media Agrees to Purchase World... Top Tournaments
|
Discuss this article in our forum
Print this article
All Poker and free play poker content ©2009 Advanced Global Applications, LLC. All rights reserved.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, visit either: National Council on Problem Gambling or Gamblers Anonymous International Service