French In “Illegal” Arrest Of Unibet Chief
In a move which is becoming more and more embarrassing by the day for the French authorities, it was announced that Unibet Chief Executive Petter Nylander was arrested in Holland on the orders of the French authorities.
Initially they claimed that Unibet were operating illegally in the French online gambling market, and much like the similar situation in the US, they applied for his arrest. It has since been proved that Unibet are a legal EU entity and as such have every right to be present in the French online gambling market. So why was he arrested?
The arrest of Mr Nylander has created a situation which is set to continue for some time, after revelations that this is not the first time the authorities have acted illegally in trying to protect their domestic online gambling industry. This revelation has prompted a major back lash from European counterparts, who are in the process of bringing Europe closer together, not segregating markets.
While the French have since rescinded the arrest of Mr Nylander, who was being held in the Netherlands, this episode is sure to result in some form of legal action, and major censorship for the French. Such is the embarrassment that this has caused, the French regulators have announced plans to formally open up their online gambling markets, although participants will need a licence to trade - is this against EU regulations?
It remains to be seen if the French online gambling markets will actually be formally opened up to non-national companies, or whether this is just a tactic to draw some of the sting out of the recent farce. Either way, the revelations that this is not the first time the authorities have illegally discriminated against online gaming companies is a major blow to their credibility.
While some may wonder why the French have sunk to such depths, it is all to do with the potential to tax what is becoming one of the more lucrative industries in the world.