by Mario Alfonsi | Published on May 12, 2012 | Updated on May 12, 2012Sporadically we have talked about certain European countries (see our international countries poker list) and how they have begun to crack down on online poker. While a country like England is trying to gain tax revenue, other countries like France, Spain, and Belgium have made online poker increasingly difficult to come by. Now Belgium has added more sites to the list of restricted online poker providers. The list, which was already made up of sites like 888 and Everest, is now going to grow as you can add William Hill and other small name operators.While many of the poker sites are still able to be accessed by residents of Belgium, if you do play a hand there you are risking a penalty that is very steep. In fact, the penalty you face is up to a €25,000 fine. This is unlike many other online poker restrictions because Belgium itself is not stopping the service of these sites, which means that if you unknowingly gamble on a restricted online poker room, you will still be held accountable. Some might think this is unfair, but it really forces you to know and understand the law which governs your nation or state.PokerStars and a few other small-name sites are still able to be played on, but much like the situation in the United States, the options are few and far in between. The only difference is that in the US, there is hope that the situation will improve and online poker will become a more viable option in the country, in Belgium it looks as if things can only get worse. This type of legislation is raising the collective eyebrows of the online poker community, especially in European countries. Many fear that this is going to have a landslide affect and end up hurting the industry as a whole, which really thrives in Europe.
