Fight with the internet…

»It is a step back. And also the fight with windmills,« thinks Jindrich Rajchl, defence counceler of foreing betting agency Bwin, whose logo can be seen on Czech sportsmen dresses, at the stadiums and during sports broadcasts. But the proposal from the “workshop” of Ministerial inspection over gambling thinks also of the manual, how to put the ban through in practise and that way gain victory over »windmills« of the internet. Ministry of Finance is conscious that it cannot prohibit international companies from operating web pages in Czech language on the internet. But it can keep and eye on financial transactions. Online betting, simply said, will be blocked in banks.»Banks and subsidiaries of foreing banks cannot carry on with betters charging order for payment of his stake. Transfering institutions also cannot support payment of winnings from disallowed games,« is written in proposal of the law. Except of that, the regulation determines, that also advertisement for online betting and stakes is illegal. Similar path have taken for example United States, but many of European countries online betting permited. For example Great Britain fully legalized online gambling, because according to its authorities is its regulation practically unavoidable. Therefor is the reaction of large Czech lottery companies restrained. »We could probably reconcile with such regulation only in case, that state would ensure its absolute abidance,« reacted spokesman of Tipsport Lubomir Jezek. »We support formation of same conditions for all online betting operators. We see the solution in sancitions for illegal operation of international betting companies,« stated Katerina Luisa Danhelová, director of holding Synot.

…and fight with lobbyists

Representative of online betting agency Bwin Jindrich Rajchl nevertheless keeps calm. »We have seen many of such proposals,« he says referring to the destiny of earlier legislative attempts for tightening up the gambling rules. Because of strong lobbing of lottery business none of them was approved by parlament. Rajchl in addition bets on the fact, that if the law yet comes into effect, state will lose at international courts . »It namely concerns favouritting of native companies,« he says. But ministerial officials sit tight. »If we open up online betting, it will be accesable in every childrenś room,« told head of state inspection over gambling Petr Vrzáň to Lidove Noviny. In the law proposal are introdruce even other reason, why it is necessary to ban online betting »Games operating through internet bring into this area of business anonymity. It aggravates or makes impossible to do the consistent control of financial flow and thereby control of money laundering ban.,« is stated in document, which will Ministry of Finance propound to government by the end of the year. If the standard is approved by legislators, it will be applied at the beginning of 2009.