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A Canadian high court has blocked the government’s move to control the access to online gaming websites through internet service providers. It has been hailed as a major win both for net neutrality and the online gaming sector. The internet service providers in the country need not have to block the gambling websites.
The Quebec Superior Court ruled that the government’s attempt to force internet service providers to block people from accessing online gaming websites was unconstitutional.
A brief history: The government of Quebec introduced ill 74 in 2016 in which it ordered internet service companies to block anyone trying to access online poker, casino, and other gaming sites a few years ago. The government’s aim was boost the state-run Loto-Quebec, which losing money to unlicensed sites. The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) took the government to court to challenge the bill. CWTA argued that only the Canadian Radio-Television Telecommunications Commission could make such a demand, and the state government was overstepping their bounds.
The court agreed with the argument and ruled that Bill 74 was only protecting the monopoly’s revenues, not customers’ rights as Finance Minister Carlos Leitao and others claimed. The court basically upheld net neutrality. The ruling may have an impact on other similar cases.
Meanwhile in Italy, the ban on gambling ads is gaining support and acceptance. Global giants like Google and Facebook are changing their modes of operation to comply with the rules.
In other news, Slovakia is taking a big step by submitting its new remote gambling bill draft for EC approval and South Africa, on other hand, has introduced a stringent bill to regulate online gambling which could lead to a legal battle with operators similar to the one in Quebec.
Source: legaluspokersites.com
Source: European Gaming Industry News
