If any EU member nation is going to be the "test case" for online gaming, it will be Sweden. Not only has Sweden been "out of compliance" with the standards of the EU Commission; the Swedish response has often been in the complete opposite direction of Commission mandates. The most recent report on the state of online gaming in Sweden remains a muddled mystery.
Gambling Intelligence Group reported that the current "investigation" will propose that Sweden introduce a licensing system for online sports betting providers. But "may not" recommend online poker be opened to competition or remain the government monopoly of Svenska Spel.
Reactions have been mixed to the early details of the report, which is now scheduled for a December release.
"This is a step in the right direction, but ultimately the way forward for Europe is not through a country by country licensing system, but a solution for the whole of Europe."
"This appears as a positive move, but I believe it is a big bluff to ease the pressure from Brussels. The EC-court has threatened Sweden with legal action and I believe these premature comments on the report are designed to lift that threat."
Sweden has repeatedly been accused of stalling, the longer it takes to resolve these issues, the longer the Swedish government collects revenues from their monopoly, Svenska Spel. The entire issue of member states with such monopolies as opposed to members with bans or restrictions on certain aspects of online gaming remains another area of murky mystery regulation.
In a classic example of changing a law by not enforcing the law, the government of Sweden has ended it monopoly on online gaming by advising all state prosecutors to halt cases against media organizations accepting ads from foreign online gambling companies, which means that many online poker operators may now decide to begin advertising in Sweden, competing openly with state-supoprted Svenska Spel. And if you can advertise, then apparently you may also operate and accept customers.
Following its enforced withdrawal from the American market due to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, the online poker giant 
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.
