The new right-wing government is set to raise hundreds of millions of euros by auctioning licences to offer internet gambling services in the Netherlands, the Telegraaf reports on Thursday, quoting political sources.

The auction could raise as much as €270m the paper said.
At the moment internet gambling is illegal – apart from on the state-owned Lotto site. Banks and credit card companies which help Dutch gamblers to break the rules can face prosecution.
In July, the European court of justice said the Netherlands is within its rights to ban internet gambling if the Dutch courts are satisfied the aim of the ban is to reduce crime and to discourage people from gambling.
Foreign firms

Ladbrokes and Betfair both claim they have a permit to operate under British law and do not need to apply for a Dutch licence.
Betfair has been fighting for a licence to operate in the Netherlands since early 2008 and took the issue to the European court in 2009. Ladbrokes has been under fire from the Dutch government for illegally targeting Dutch punters.
But in August a government commission advised the outgoing administration to legalise internet poker through a licence system.