Bwin.party Woes Multiply
Just a week after the detention of Co-CEO
Norbert Teufelberger by Belgian authorities, bwin.party digital entertainment was hit with another potential headache when authorities in Argentina pulled its license.
Bwin.party defended its actions in Belgium and continued to lobby for cooperation from the European Union to clear up conflicting regulatory issues.
“The request to attend the interview arose from the Belgium Gambling Commission’s view that bwin.party was in breach of the country’s gambling legislation,” the company said in a press release. “Bwin.party maintains the position that it is acting and has always acted in compliance with applicable laws.” Teufelberger was not formally arrested, but has agreed to appear for an extended interview on December 17.
Bwin.party is continuing to accept play from Belgian players despite the lack of an official license. Bwin is just one of several high-profile online poker sites blacklisted by the Belgian authorities. Other violators include PokerStars and PartouchePoker.
“We have been at the forefront of regulatory change in Europe for several years and we have licenses in Gibraltar, Alderney, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Spain,” said a statement from Teufelberger and fellow Co-CEO Jim Ryan. “We continue to strive for a regulatory framework in European member states that is compliant with European Union law.”
In Misiones, the Provincial Institute of Lottery and Casinos (IPLyC) revoked the license of bwin Argentina for “break of contract” in relation to the operation of the “internet pages to the companies bwin Argentina S.A. and Mil Jugadas SRL.”
IPLyC head Eduardo Torres said that any further betting on bwin sites in the province would be considered illegal gambling.
The dispute apparently centers around play outside of the Misiones province on the bwin Argentina site. When the institute requested that bwin provide it with player information, bwin did not comply, leading to the license revocation.
Meanwhile, the developments caught the attention of Nevada regulators. During hearings that resulted in the approval of an online license for partner MGM Resorts (see previous story), Gaming Control Board members were clear that they had a lot of questions for bwin.party.
