The administrative Court of Rome has rejected the appeal against the decision of the Italian gambling regulator Agenzia delle Dogane dei Monopoli (ADM) to ban the website of a gambling affiliate Internet www.bet4win.org, enabling visitors to access unlicensed gambling operators from Italy and has thus confirmed ADM blocking order was compliant to national laws.
The website blocking order consisted in banning through national internet service providers (ISP) any access to the website from Italy as it was linking to collection of gambling activities without any relevant ADM license and authorization. ISP are compelled by law to block illegal gambling websites and readdress to a special ADM webpage, stating that the website is not accessible.
The claimant Bet4win is the owner of the internet information website www.bet4win.org providing visitors updates, prognostics and statistics on national and international sports events. The company claimed it was not providing gambling collection and asked before the Court for damages compensation.
The administrative Court ruled that ADM order was compliant to national laws – allowing the Italian gambling authority to inhibit any website offering gambling services without having the relevant licenses and authorizations – as it considered that Bet4win was containing direct links to gambling websites without any ADM authorization or license. The claimant website has thus been blocked as it was enabling visitors to access unauthorized gambling operators and its blocking has been removed only when the claimant has removed the direct links to illegal gambling operators.
The administrative Court ruling is extremely relevant as it confirms the extensive interpretation of the Internet blocking and readdressing measures, having regard not only to the general aim and principal content of the Internet website but also to their commercial links.
