In the second part of a survey of global internet gambling payments bans, GamblingCompliance looks at the growing trend of European governments to introduce payment blocking provisions to protect their restrictive gambling regimes, and the reaction of the European Commission to proposed payments legislation in Germany and France in particular.

As the long-awaited conclusion of the ECJ’s Placanica case nears, according to at least one leading analyst, the fall out in Germany could prove a turning point that decides the fate of online gambling across the continent of Europe.

The European Commission has issued France with a Detailed Opinion urging the French government to modify the law that obliges internet service providers (ISPs) to warn customers against the use of foreign online gambling sites.

In the final part of a survey of global internet gambling payments bans, GamblingCompliance looks at recent measures taken in Norway and Holland that would oblige banks to block online gambling transactions. The success or failure of these two projects could determine the viability of payments bans throughout Europe, observers believe.

The Norwegian Government has formally submitted its proposed online gambling payments ban for a parliamentary vote. The restrictions recently drew criticism from the European Commission in Brussels who view them as disproportionate, but strongly negative local press coverage demonising online gambling websites has raised the possibility of further ISP blocking measures being introduced in Norway.

An official report prepared for France’s Prime Minister François Fillon suggests that any ‘controlled opening’ of France’s online gambling market must be accompanied by tough restrictions to shore up the new regime. The report recommends the government explore whether bans on payments and advertising for unauthorized sites, originally included in last year’s Delinquency Law, could be squared with EU law under a more open licensing system - from which betting exchanges, spread betting and certain types of online casinos games seem likely to nevertheless be excluded.

France’s Budget Minister Eric Woerth conceded yesterday that the European Commission has asked for the clarification and modification of several points in France's new draft online gambling law. While the exact terms of the request remain unknown, and may not be revealed, Europe’s online industry has broadly welcomed the development.

France’s projet de loi sur la délinquance, (law on delinquency) which is aimed at stopping the spread of delinquency among its youth, is set to include sweeping legislation that will prevent online payments to internet gaming and betting operators.

France has decided to amend its legislation in order to allow European online gambling operators to offer their services in a regulated manner. This is a direct consequence of the infringement proceedings brought by the European Commission in June last year, of the ECJ rulings in Gambelli and Placanica, as well as of the landmark French Supreme Court decision in Zeturf.

In an exclusive interview with GamblingCompliance, Wes Himes, partner with European lobbying firm Policy Action, explains the consequences of France’s new regulatory crack-down on remote operators, and spells out how financial services enforcement is set to become European betting’s new battleground.