compilation of international laws on internet gambling

[Wynton]

I would like to create a thread where people provided links - or just recited their knowledge - about the approach countries other than the US have taken towards internet gambling.

If you have a link to the actual text of a bill or regulation, please provide it. Even without the link, please indicate whether you know if a particular country has chosen to outlaw internet gambling, regulate and tax it, or taken no official position whatsoever.

[Wynton]

bump

[Herrigel]

Italy (http://www.pokernews.com/news/2006/9/italy-legalize-regulate-online-poker.htm)

[daveymck]

UK passed law to licence, tax and regulate. However I am unsure if any site has applied or been granted a licence at this point.

[Oof]

Germany: Offering gambling services in Germany without concession is illegal and no online poker room has such a concession. This also means that playing online is illegal. Players aren't getting prosecuted however, and neither can out-of-country poker room services. SO all in all it's a grey area.
Poker is becoming somewhat popular here however, so I expect more legislative awareness of the issue in the not so distant future.

[Wynton]

Bump.

Just want to give people plenty of chance to answer this. Even if you're unsure about a country, tell me what you think might be their approach.

[oddsock]

As I understand it, internet gambling in the UK is totally legal and there are no issues in any way with regards to taxes or use of UK bank accounts to fund it.

OK, I may ask a really dumb question here but...

can someone explain to me why US players cannot just use an offshore account to play poker, using some sort of forwarding address to set up a Neteller or whatever account?

[adi]

does anyone know the law in france and switzerland? thank you.