While the European Union is doing far dealing with online casinos that the United States, the continent is not free of it troubles.  The European Union has a trade agreement that protects online casinos and online gambling.  Member states in the European Union must allow free transport of goods and services over their boarders for any service that is already legal in their country.  Most European countries have legalized gambling.  However, many of the countries in the Union have been attempting to enforce protectionist laws against online casinos and online gambling.

The latest country to pass protectionist laws against online casinos is Belgium.  This time it is different.  Countries in the past have attempted to ban online casinos as a means of protecting their state controlled monopolies.  Others have regulated online casinos but did not allow for outside competition.  All of these approaches are a violation of the European Union trade agreements.

Belgium has passed new regulation laws for online casinos and online gambling that do not agree with the agreements already in place with the Union.  According to Belgium lawmakers the change was necessary.  Apparently they felt that the current regulations in place for online casinos and online gambling were being manipulated and abused for the benefit of organized crime. 

The European Union has taken steps to get Belgium back in line.  Belgium received a letter of warning last summer that informed them that their new laws were a direct violation.  Despite the warning Belgium went forward with the creation of the new laws over online casinos.