Ladbrokes Takes Issue with Swedish Online Casino Ban
The Swedish government's plan to block online casinos from the nation's residents has met with derision from every corner. Swedish citizens are demanding censorship not be allowed, Swedish legislators have decried the concept, and now Ladbrokes is actively advertising against Swedish monopolization of online gambling.Ladbrokes, operator of both Internet and land-based gambling, is developing television commercials explaining the cost the monopoly imposes on Swedes. The ads discuss the advantages to consumers of an open market, and reveal the higher prices and limited gaming selection forced upon residents by the government plan.
The Swedish concept to develop a system similar to the UIGEA, with the addition of Internet filtering, is causing rumbles from the European Union and such advocacy groups as the Remote Gaming Association. Several lawmakers have said the plan is not just a bad idea, but illegal by Union rules.
Further, a number of Swedish government agencies have criticized the plan. These government departments are concerned with bureaucrats making arbitrary decisions on which Internet sites to make available to the public. Public figures have lined up to urge rejection of the measure.
Svenska Skel, the Swedish state gaming monopoly, has fully endorsed the plan as necessary to control problem gambling. One observer found it curious how government's concern over problem gambling always seems to end at the exact spot at which its wallet begins.
