News sources in the Netherlands are reporting that the justice minister, Ernst Hirsch Ballin, will crack down on illegal online gambling.

The crack-down will target both foreign-based, as well as domestic, gambling companies. Some online gambling websites in the country are pushing the buttons of the Dutch justice ministry. The justice minister also warned local banks that they may also face legal action, since they would be breaking the law if gambling websites are their customers.
Gambling, and that means all gambling, is government controlled in the Netherlands. Companies are not allowed to offer gambling without permission. This is not a new scenario. Last year the justice minister named Swedish online gambling company Unibet and the Dutch firm Oranje Casino in a request to local banks to not process their transactions.
This situation is world-wide in the online gambling industry. Revenues are up for online gambling operators and everyone is struggling to maintain their own piece of the pie. At the same time there are rules and rules are not much good if no one pays any attention to them. 

The Dutch continue to fight illegal online gambling the American way. The attempt to restrict online gambling in Holland follows the already failed American attempt at cracking down on the banks that support online gambling. 
The European Union is still having issues with the Netherlands and Greece over their unwillingness to open their gambling markets to the rest of the EU members and end state gambling companies.

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