The Council of State in the Netherlands has ruled in favour of payment service provider CURO Payments in a case against the Gaming Authority.
CURO Payments had appealed against a court decision in Oost-Brabant, which ruled in November 2016 that the provision of payment services to illegal gambling websites is prohibited.
The ruling, made by the highest administrative judge, is a major setback for the Gaming Authority. Online games of chance are prohibited in the Netherlands, with the regulator attempting to enforce the law within regulations that date back to 1964.
The ruling of the Council of State means it is now more difficult for the Gaming Authority to take action against online gambling, though further examination of the ruling is needed to show what the consequences are for the enforcement policy - the public goals of which are consumer protection, counteracting illegality and crime and addiction prevention.
