Battles Over Poker Brew in Europe

There are battles brewing over online poker in Europe, European Union and National Governments are on a collision course over the future of online poker.  It isn't going to be an easy feet to reconcile the interest of the 27 member states of the European Union with the goal of a single economic market.

Internal Markets Commissioner Charlie McCreevy probably never thought it would be quite this hard.  Since the beginning of this year he has watched on as Germany banned online gaming and France took a step back from its hard line position.  Austria has instituted a state ran poker room and the Netherlands had plans for the same ideas but since has gotten cold feet.

Finland was considering banning online poker but then decided that the Swedish state monopoly model might be their way forward.  While Sweden's arbitrary edifice is showing signs of crumbling under the unrelenting pressure from the European Commission. 

In short I don't know if there will ever be a single economic market as Charlie McCreevy is after with so many different people involved and we will keep watch over these affairs to see how things move forward in the future.