Online betting firm takes government to court

Thursday 07 May 2009

British online betting agency Betfair is starting legal action against the Dutch government's monopoly which it claims is 'designed to exploit Dutch punters'.

The Dutch justice ministry has written to Dutch banks urging them not to process payments from Dutch residents who want to place bets via gaming websites.

Betfair wants the court to declare the justice ministry letter illegal and allow it to claim damages for lost income.

'This is a desperate move by the Dutch government to prevent a company that is fully licenced... from being accessed by residents in the Netherlands,' Betfair said in a statement. 'This serves only to protect the Dutch government's own gaming monopoly and keep prices high.'

Betfair said it has also made a formal complaint to the European Commission.

© DutchNews.nl

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