Belgium plans online poker Nationalisation

THE Belgian government will nationalise all online poker this year, according to Belgian newspaper De Standaard.

Under the new law, all online poker sites in the country will have to be licensed by the Belgian government and be
physically hosted within the country.

The nationalised sites will be accessible only by Belgian players.
The change in gambling laws would force foreign internet poker sites beyond the reach of players in Belgium. Internet service providers would be forced to block foreign sites that do not comply with the new rules.

The plans have met with opposition from the European Union, which views poker nationalisation in breach of free trade agreements.