While nearly all of the European Union members could be and perhaps should be arguing over the myriad of byzantine online poker regulations; it appears that historical antagonists are now going to verbally spare over the dispute.
The UK House of Lords has condemned the French government and the gambling laws that protect their monopoly on gaming and poker, calling the laws "atrocious." Interestingly, the French have recently given signs of moderating their position and there are certainly more intractable members of the EU on this issue. The French government has certainly delayed its response to pressure from the EU commission on the free trade aspects around online gaming. But one wonders why now? And why point out that the punishment for online gambling is the same as for child pornographers?
Lord James of Blackheath pointed out that the punishment for a French national to place a bet with a British online bookmaker is one year in prison and a Euro 75,000 fine, the same punishment given pedophiles that download child porn.
One wonders if the European Union must now step up and actively pursue one or more countries whose online gaming laws leave them outside the statutory mandates of the EU for free and fair trade.
Two members of the European Union appear headed in opposite directions as far as regulating online poker. One country is considering abolishing existing restrictive legislation, while the other is preparing to regulate online poker for the first time.
France: Online-poker advertising in France will disappear, for now, after the inaction of a law calling for a minimum fine of €30,000 for any foreign-based online gambling within the country. This is, of course, a direction violation of EU trade guidelines but that has not slowed down the French anti-poker forces at all.
Sweden: They are going the "protect the public" route in Sweden. Again in violation of the EU open trade rules and in direct opposition to the well known Swedish rule of law that holds that people do not need to be protected from themselves. The underlying problem here is that Sweden has online poker but its a state-run monoply (Svenska Spel) and they want the revenue to flow exclusively to the government as long as they can hold off challenges from other EU states. Interesting that protection is not needed from the government gaming site but only from others.
Malta: Some good news, Malta is gaining population and jobs as more and more online poker sites set up their servers in Malta. The UK approved state is an ideal location considering its very favorable tax laws. Already a dozen online gaming operations are calling Malta home.
The British government said on Monday it was reviewing taxes paid on player-to-player games in casinos, such as poker, where gamblers' so-called participation fees are subject to VAT but not gaming duty. Most gaming activities are subject to only the VAT but some confusion has had poker players taxed double. It appears that will be remedied soon. A Treasury spokesman said no date had been set for reporting on the review, but tax changes were typically announced in the pre-budget report due in October. 
South Africa: The SAparliament passed the National Gambling Amendment bill which aims to regulate online gaming, including poker. The bill, sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry, stipulates that online gaming vendors would have to obtain a national license and locate their servers and records within South Africa.
Ireland: Having stayed out of the legal debate over online gaming, Ireland has also prevented itself from becoming the home to dozens of gaming companies and their money making servers. It appears at least some politicians have recognized this and are now moving to make Ireland "online gaming friendly."
SWEDEN - It appears the government will attempt to prop up the current monopoly (Svenska Spel)by imposing huge taxes and licensing fees on other businesses attempting to bring online gaming into the country. The current state run gaming monopoly is likely to run into more legal resistance from other European Union members.
FRANCE - Its not just online gaming but bricks and mortar operations as well under fire in France. Recently cancellation of several major poker tournaments and the banning of WPT Enterprises from filming in Paris this month seems aimed more at the noted French phobia against anything not French than any real governmental attempt to regulate gaming. However, the EU is likely to include France in any anti-commerce action directed at other member nations.
UNITED STATES - No progress in Congress is expected towards modifying or repealing the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act. Several new gaming bills have weak support in the Legislature. On the International fronts, Antigua is expected to press its claims against the US with the World Trade Organization after the US let its most recent appeal deadline pass with no notice to the WTO.
GERMANY - Courts have thrown out a suit that would have prevented an Austian company from taking online wagers in Bavaria. Here the courts did not side with the German state run betting monopoly but instead went with the more open policy of the European Union's trade guidelines.
VIETNAM - Slow but steady progress continues towards a government run online wagering monopoly. With no trade barriers to such a system, it appears several SouthEast Asian countries will enter the lucrative online gaming market within the next 12 to 18 months. The only question that remains is whether they will build stand alone systems or whether they might partner will already existing gaming and poker sites. A national "poker skin" for Vietnam would be a coup for any of the existing poker portals.
The first Japanese Poker Tournament is set for June. Finally, Japan will have its own poker tournament. The All-Japan Poker Championship Committee has announced the first annual All-Japan Poker Championship (AJPC).
The Dusk Till Dawn poker club is about to open in the U.K. in Nottingham to be specific. With £4 million already spent building Europe's biggest poker club (46 tables) and another £3m plunged into a 15-year lease, entrepreneur and club owner Robert Yong believes:
The World Poker Tour and Grup Peralada, the largest casino group in Spain, have announced an agreement to bring the first ever WPT stop in Spain to the Casino Barcelona. The event has been added to the Tour line-up in October 2007.
As I write this blog, Guy Laliberte, the "richest man in Canada" has just finished 4th in the Five Diamond World Poker Tour Championship in Las Vegas. Guy, the co-founder of "Cirque du Soleil," is playing in only his third tournament after picking up the game less than 18 months ago. Perhaps he was visiting the five "Cirque" shows now playing in Las Vegas and just stopped by the Bellagio to win $696,220.
