Poker Legislation

The legal counsel of online gambling operator Sportingbet has settled with the US authorities to pay $33 million for violating US gambling laws.

Although the court agreed on the interpretation of Swedish gambling laws, Betsson has lost a 1997 case against the Swedish government, and will not receive compensation for the damages.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) declared the German gambling laws “not consistent and systematic enough”. The 16 regional governments in Germany are running lotteries and provide online sports betting, which are used to fund cultural projects and the government budget.

Congressman Barney Frank was invited to Jay Leno’s The Tonight Show. The two discussed the issues of online gambling and personal liberty; topics of their conversation included the income to be made by taxing a regulated online gambling market, limitations the HR 2267 can provide, etc.

One of the most heated debates in poker history seems to evolve as the Poker Players Alliance and top California-based card rooms have been fighting in the past few days more and more aggressively. The source of the argument is the Congressional testimony from Commerce Casino board member Tom Malkasian on HR 2267.

The South African High Court has banned  all forms of online gambling, and whoever breaks the law can count on a million-dollar fine or prison. On the 20th August, North Gauteng High Court made all kinds of online gambling illegal in South Africa.