Belgium and bwin.party reach an Agreement

Last month bwin.party co-CEO Norbert Teufelberger was detained by the Belgian authorities for questions regarding the continued bwin.party operations without a Belgian regulated gaming license.  The next few weeks formed a tense standoff between the two sides with bwin.party threatening legal action, and appealing to the European Gaming Commission to mandate a European-wide gambling law.  However, cooler heads have prevailed amid a round of negotiations with land-based Belcasinos, which will allow bwin.party to offer its branded online gambling services in full compliance with Belgian law.

Teufelberger’s detention was part of Belgium’s attempt to crack down against online gambling sites that had been blacklisted by the Belgian Gambling Commission, yet continued to operate in violation of Belgian law.  However, rather than risk a lengthy and expensive legal battle over the distinction between Belgian gambling laws and guidelines under the European Commission, bwin.party negotiated with Belcasinos to collaborate their services.  This agreement gives bwin.party legislation to offer online sportsbetting, poker, and other casino games under full compliance of Belgian gaming law.  With the deal approved by the Belgian Commission, Teufelberger and soon to be former co-CEO Jim Ryan released a statement about the new arrangement.

“Following recent developments in Belgium and after further dialogue with the local regulator, we have put our differences of opinion behind us and are now focused on the immediate commercial opportunity.”

Despite the agreement and the cooling of hostile relations, bwin.party remains concerned that the actions of the Belgian government last month could dash the company’s hopes of operating in the US should legislation be enacted there.  The Americans were noticeably tight-lipped regarding Teufelberger’s detention, and online gambling remains a tumultuous and often divisive issue in the US.  Nevertheless, bwin.party remains pursuant in its plans to expand into the US because the American market remains the largest untapped online gambling market in the world.