Slovakia adds more names to its blacklist

On a monthly basis the Slovakian authorities update the nation’s online gambling blacklist, and in the latest (August) iteration 18 websites have been added, among them major operators like bwin.com, williamhill.com, bet-at-home.com, and bet365.com.

Under a January 2017 amendment to the Slovak Act of Gambling, the national Financial Directorate was empowered to maintain and publish a national blacklist of online gambling sites accessing Slovakian residents without local licensing.

The process requires the Financial Directorate to first warn prospective targets to cease and desist. If that approach fails, the offender is placed on the blacklist and can expect that to be followed by the FD seeking a court order for ISP and financial transaction blocking to be imposed.

Many of the companies blacklisted by the Slovaks are licensed in other European Union jurisdictions, and claim that by disrupting their business the Slovakian government is in contravention of EU principles of free movement of goods and services.

Internet freedom activists are also concerned at what they perceive to be restraints on the advantages the internet makes possible, whilst ISP companies are worried about the efficacy, cost, potential abuse and difficulties of implementing website blocking.

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