The Dutch Senate yesterday voted down proposals that would have granted the state-run operator Holland Casinos a three-year exclusive license to operate internet gaming in the Netherlands. The proposal was rejected by a narrow margin, but the outcome nevertheless sparked celebration among private gambling operators.

Ahead of a crucial vote in the Dutch Senate that will determine whether Holland Casino will be granted a licence to develop online casino games, the Ministry of Justice has said that it is prepared to prosecute Dutch financial institutions that process payments for so-called ‘illegal’ gambling websites included on a blacklist of rogue sites to be drawn up by the Ministry.

The European Commission’s decision to escalate formal infringement investigations into the restrictive gambling markets of Holland and Greece has been welcomed by private gambling operators in the continent. But the next step in the infringement process at the European Court of Justice could still be over two years away and Greek monopoly operator OPAP, for one, is showing no intention of backing down to EU pressure.

Austrian lottery and casino operators Österreichische Lotterien and Casinos Austria have said that their state-owned online poker room, operated in conjunction with Sweden’s Svenska Spel and Boss Media, will go live within months. According to Boss Media’s CEO, more government-controlled operators will soon follow suit and embrace online gambling – and a debate in the Dutch Parliament at the end of January could determine whether Holland Casino could be next.

Sweden’s Svenska Spel has threatened to launch a civil action against UK bookmaker Ladbrokes over an advertising campaign the state-owned operator alleges to be in violation of the Svenska Spel trademark. Public prosecutions for gambling advertising may currently be on hold amidst ongoing legal uncertainty in Swedish courts, but Svenska Spel’s threat suggests that private operators may face continued difficulty as they look to exploit their new-found freedom.

In the wake of the ECJ's Bwin Liga decision, Advocate General Bot recently released his opinion on cases involving the challenges to Dutch sports betting restrictions launched by the UK’s Betfair and Ladbrokes.

Sweden is currently considering reforms to its gambling legislation, including more stringent advertising restrictions and blocking measures. Sweden's gambling regulation will again come under scrutiny in January when two high profile advertising prosecution referral cases will be heard in the ECJ.

The Swedish government is understood to be making amendments to proposed gambling law changes after they were heavily criticised in a consultation, but political obligations both domestic and European are thought likely to delay any moves towards reform until next year.

Revived proposals by the Dutch Ministry of Justice to introduce payments blocking measures against non-licensed online gambling operators have been met with approval by Holland’s state sanctioned operators, who nevertheless say they have not lobbied for the change.

Swedish monopoly operator Svenska Spel has withdrawn its bid to develop a range of online casino games as the Swedish government wishes to avoid any further controversy whilst a review of gambling legislation in Sweden is conducted.