The Netherlands Bankers Association (NVB) have told Dutch Justice Minister Hirsch Ballin that the current legislative plan to ban online gambling by using Dutch financial institutions as internet police is simply impractical and, in fact, probably illegal.
The Justice Ministry immediately dismissed the sound advice of the NVB.
"Justice bases itself on Dutch law in fighting illegal internet gaming and there is no room for free choice on the side of the banks.”
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Don't you just love the phrase: "There is no room for free choice." Ain't democracy great!
The governmental spokesperson went even futher, by distancing the Netherlands from the ongoing European Union Commission actions on internet gaming, when he said:
"European law has no influence on this."
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The Ministry did, however, admit that this reaction from the NVB would delay any legislation currently under consideration.
“The comments made in the consultation phase, as well as other events which took place in the first half of 2008, have led me to further re-examine the Dutch system. I refer to the Senate’s rejection of the bill regulating online gambling, the EC’s Reasoned Opinion, and the questions referred for a preliminary ruling by the Administrative Law Division of the Council of State and the Supreme Court. I have come to the conclusion that the policy needs adaptation on a number of issues, not just to increase support therefore, but also to ensure consistency and coherence with European law.”
Sounds like another social moralist is finding it hard to legislate how a free individual conducts their private life.
Dutch officials might do well to observe the regulatory mess the United States has gotten itself into by trying to enforce social policy through its banking system. The U.S. legislation remains unenforceable a full two years after its passage.
