Israel Lifts Blocking of an Online Gambling Site

Israel only permits limited forms of gambling within the country’s borders and these amount to state lottery and state-run sports betting. Other forms of gambling such as casinos are not allowed to operate within country borders. However, under Israeli gambling laws, the residents can gamble at casinos operating on ships once they leave land.

Those Israeli citizens who decide to gamble, prefer the expanded coverage of gambling other sites offer where hundreds of games are available, all with simple access. Enterprises such as Bet365 provide both online casino gambling and sports betting, all from a single platform.

Recent police injunctions to block access to offshore sites providing gaming entertainment for internet betting in Israel have been overturned by an Israeli court, which stated this action limits the freedom of speech.

Accusations that state gambling monopolies pay salaries that are too high, while not enough goes to charity, certainly don’t help state run outfits. Toto, the internet betting site allowed to operate in Israel, has found itself under government’s scrutiny after millions have failed to be disbursed for causes that benefit society, the idea which supports official state monopolies.

Now, the company may find itself blocked from having its license expanded into other betting types as well as mobile betting which it sought to pursue. Most of Toto’s revenues, about 80%, come from football betting.

The court ruling is unlike that of some other countries. Recently, the Dutch court issued a ruling requesting offshore casinos to block the Dutch citizens from accessing their sites rather than making it a responsibility of Dutch Internet Service Providers.

Meanwhile, in the United States, the feds were able to seize the site of Bodog, which catered to the American players. Bodog’s other sites still continue to operate, while the owner is fighting a legal battle.