Online casinos are still either monopolized or outlawed in a slim majority of European Union countries.  Of the countries where online casinos are legalized but monopolized, the Netherlands perhaps rules with the heaviest iron fist.

Gamblers in the Netherlands only have one option when it comes to online gambling, the state run De Lotto.  Much like in the United States, foreign online casino operators still have access to Dutch player but they are operating without license.  In an effort to squeeze out this unwanted competition, the Dutch Ministry introduced a law uncannily similar to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, passed in the United States back in 2006.

The law did not go after individuals that used foreign online casinos but it put all of the pressure on the nation’s financial industry.  Banks and financial institutions were warned that processing transaction from foreign online casinos could lead to prosecution.  This turned up the heat on the banks to weed out the transactions and strangles the access other online casinos has to Dutch players.

In the United State players found a way around the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act because it only outlaws certain mainstream forms of business transactions such as credit cards.  Most American player that still gamble at online casinos use online wallets which allow them to wager at online casinos without violating the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

There are several other countries in the European Union that are attempting to protect their own gambling industry from online casinos, Germany is among them.