It appears that a bill which would legalize online gambling in the Netherlands has been gaining support and may very well become law soon, according to numerous reports. Originally introduced two years ago, the bill was finally debated by the Dutch Lower House last week. That debate is set to continue today, June 30th, with a likely vote next week. According to GaminginHolland.com, the bill should pass the Lower House because it has the support of the majority coalition. The bigger question is whether or not it can pass muster in the Senate, as the two coalition parties – the…

Poker is a game of chance and the organiser of a poker tournament can be prosecuted for breaking gambling laws, Amsterdam’s appeal court has ruled in a case which stretches back nearly 10 years. Officially, the Netherlands regards poker as a gambling game, meaning the state owned Holland Casino group is the only organisation allowed to organise tournaments. The case centres on three men who organised poker tournaments in a bar in Bussum between 2005 and 2007 without a licence. Lower court judges in 2010 and 2014 agreed with the defence, which argued poker has become a different game, depending…

The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission has signed a letter of intent with the Netherlands Gaming Authority (Kansspelautoriteit) to form a working relationship once the Dutch Gaming and Betting Act is approved. Although online gambling has not yet been legalised in the Netherlands, many expect the country’s government to pass proposed legislation later this year. If the legislation does pass, the Isle of Man body will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with its counterpart in the Netherlands and begin cooperation and information sharing in regards to online gaming activities. The partnership comes after the Alderney Gambling Control Commission…

Is poker a skill game? Well, it scored yet another goal in Holland in a match against the state’s punitive Gambling Act. In 2010, poker player and tournament organizer Steve van Zadelhoff won a case in court stating that poker is not a game of chance, but a game of skill. Four years later, ‘the game of skill’ has won another battle against ‘the game of chance.’ According to NL Times, three men were acquitted by the Amsterdam court after being charged of violating the Gambling Act. Seven years ago, the three men were caught organizing a live poker tournament….