In accord with a law entered into force with the Finance Act 2006, the Italian ISPs have blocked all the traffic to and from the foreign betting services providers, which are not in possession of an Italian concession.
Those ISPs who are found to be in breach of the law will face daily fines of between €30,000 and €180,000.
Mark Davies, Betfair\’s Director of Communications, said the company is considering its alternatives.
“We\’re giving consideration to what legal action we need to take to protect our current position so that we can continue to offer our services to the hundreds of thousands of Italians that might legitimately want to use them,” he said.
“Under the new legislation, Italian consumers will no longer benefit from the competitive prices offered by Betfair and other online gambling service providers in Europe. The reduced competition will reduce the value Italian punters get, leaving them at the mercy of the existing monopolist AAMS.”
He added: “The new law not only restricts our ability to offer services but our fundamental right of commercial free speech. Censorship for the benefit of local monopoly is a disgrace; it is the technological equivalent of book burning.”
Robin Hutchinson, Ladbrokes\’ spokesman, described the Italian ban as a flagrant abuse of European competition law and one the company will be fighting tooth and nail.
“Ladbrokes has a dedicated Italian site and this ban is a joke. We can\’t see how the Italians can get away with it,” he added.
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