Lawyers: 3 Technologies You Need To Understand!
I love technology! My family’s business is technology. My social circle is a jackpot casino of programmers, IT experts, engineers, and various other types of nerds, so I know a fair bit about technology. Needless to say, when I hear so-called “experts” and politicians talk chop about technology on TV, I usually end up cringing into my seat.
These people may be masters of economic theory, political science, and legal know-how, but I wouldn’t stake my life on their ability to plug in a vacuum cleaner. As technology keeps advancing, it’s important for politicians, lawyers, and, well, just about everyone to understand the modern world- and be open to adjusting your world view because of it.
Check the techs below
Forensics
Probably the most well-known TV pseudo-science, TV forensics does not reflect the capabilities, actual forensic experts. Watch any true crime show/documentary to see some real detective work shut cases. It’s incredibly disheartening to see that shows like CSI and NCIS promote astonishingly false images of our law enforcement agencies.
Not only are the labs displayed in such shows outlandishly funded, but they’re also centers of science fiction so unrealistic they border on being magic. Forensic scientists cannot hack into the pentagon. There is no such thing as “Enhance and zoom” (at least, not until very recently- and there are huge limits on what it can do).
Deep Fakes & Neural Networks
Deep Fakes are probably the scariest piece of new technology on this list. Using neural networks and algorithms that are well beyond my ability to explain, computers are now capable of recreating a person’s entire face and make them move an incredible amount of realism.
Meanwhile, other neural networks have been made that are capable of replicating a person’s voice- including their speech patterns and mannerisms, after only listening to a five-second clip of them speaking. For example that is as awesome as it is scary, watch a fake video of President Nixon giving a speech about the failure of the Apollo 11 mission… a speech and failure that, of course, never happened.
Now before you start making tin foil hats, it’s important to know that just because Neural Networks gave us this problem, doesn’t mean that Neural Networks can’t be the solution either. Deep fakes are powerful tools, but Deep Fake detectors are pretty darn good too. Knowing that both exist, however, and what they’re capable of, is vital for the political and legal future regarding these technologies.
The Internet
It may seem like a no-brainer, but the internet is a technology that truly has changed the course of history. What politicians would like us all to forget sticks around forever, accessible by anyone who’s meticulous enough to find it.
So some politicians are simply incompetent with the internet, but how about the ones that try to pander to internet culture? Did anyone really “Pokemon GO to the polls” to vote for Hillary Clinton, after she said that?
While Social Media can and does bring thousands of people from accross the globe together to talk and share idea’s, the same platforms are also cesspools of censorship, trolls, privacy breaches, and mob-like mentalities.
There is also a huge misunderstanding around the capabilities of “hackers”. In ninety-nine percent of cases, these so-called “hackers” don’t type magical nonsense into keyboards to access backdoors into your private accounts. Instead, they can simply ask for it.
Spammers send hundreds, if not thousands, of emails telling people to put in personal bank info and important passwords, looking for the one moron who will fall for it. Or else they simply install viruses that can do a whole load of damage to sensitive systems if there aren’t any backups. Fake links can install ransomware, which will lock machines and destroy them unless the “hacker” is paid money.
There was a security issue with a certain brand of internet routers where thousands of them had to be patched because these scammers had managed to install bitcoin miners onto them.
Being technologically literate is becoming a necessity in the twenty-first century, so it’s staying on top of the capabilities and limitations of technology and avoiding the sensationalist rabbit holes is more important than ever. Especially, when it comes to the law.
What Is the Legality of Online Gambling in Canada?
In Canada, one of the most popular entertainment activities is playing casino games, but the local gambling laws are a tad complicated. Beyond the lack of clarity in some of the regulations related to land-based and online casinos, it is legal for Canadians to play games. For those that want to be the best online casino in Canada; however, there are grey areas in the restrictions that the government has put in place to protect citizens within its jurisdiction.
Provincial laws govern the gambling rules in Canada, but the internet is an international regulated system that doesn’t observe national boundaries. The laws that oversee online gambling are based in the licensing hubs of Cyprus, Malta, Isle of Man or the UK, where governments have thrown the regulatory doors wide to welcome the tax revenues. In Canada, similar to New Zealand and other regions, no online casino provider is allowed to operate gaming rooms within the country.
The paradox, however, is that most of the offshore gaming companies have based their servers in the Kahnawake native reserve, which is a territory of Canada. So the illegality only occurs when the online gambling provider is based inside Canadian and not their systems or the availability of services to Canadians in their own homes.
History of the gambling industry in Canada
At the beginning of legislation on gambling in Canada, casino gaming was initially legal, but an 1892 legislation made it unlawful. By the 1900s, this law relaxed to allow casual raffles and bingo at charitable events, and ten years later, betting at horse racing was legalized. In 1985, a significant breakthrough in gambling regulation happened when gaming machines such as slots became legal, and land-based casinos started to mushroom in the country.
The provinces in Canada are able to license and grant operational regulation to casinos under the Canadian criminal code. This is the law that determines what is legal or illegal gaming activity within Canada is, and web-based casinos are included in its regulation. The Canadian criminal code defines the conducting or taking part in gambling activities as illegal except for the specified inclusions.
Current legislation provides that provincial Canadian governments can control and organize lotteries operated physically or through the internet. The criminal code’s parts VII and section 207 list the exceptions to the illegality of online gambling within Canada’s territories, but give the mandate to provincial authorities to conduct online gaming themselves.
Kahnawake Gaming Commission
The right and responsibility of issuing licenses or regulating web-based gaming activities is an entitlement of the special Kahnawake Gaming Commission. Situated in the Mohawk territory of Kahnawake in Quebec, the gaming commission has under its control three brick and mortar poker rooms within the region. As a result of the commissions licensing criteria, the Canadian government has increased the favorability of internet casinos with provinces left to control, regulate and monitor the gaming environment.
The Kahnawake gaming commission operates on principles of fair gaming, guaranteed payouts and geographical reference to offer four types of gambling licenses. All forms of gambling are now legal in Canada, except for the granting of licenses to locally based online casino companies. Each of the Canadian provinces has the power to decide which form of legalization they give to online gambling within their territory, and this is considered the foot-in-the-door for Canadian online casino operators.
Transactions in Canada for online gambling
Since the more significant part of online casino gaming sites is offshore, Canadian based players have some difficulty in accessing some international payment methods. In Canada, for instance, some online casinos do not accept the ubiquitous visa debit or credit card, while restrictions in the manner of setting up payment accounts exist. Third-party money transfer sites, wire transfers and accepted payment methods are some of the considerations for online gamblers in Canada.
Conclusion
The Criminal Code doesn’t help much with the specifics that only the Canadian government and the provincial authorities can operate gambling practices. The exception to the rule is Kahnawake Mohawk Nation and its gaming commission, which can license its websites for gamers within Canada. Though the action was vehemently opposed by some of the country’s major legal players, no action has been taken so far to deter the Kahnawake Gaming Commission from its online gambling allowance policies.
Lawyers in the online gambling industry
The gambling industry has undergone more change and growth than many other major industries in the past 20 years. The rapid development of the internet and technological advancements have opened up a brand-new corridor of expansion for gambling companies online.
Take up was slow at first, with a small selection of forward-thinking companies bringing their gambling facilities to an online audience. The success of these pioneering companies was staggering and provided a blueprint for others to follow.
With the amount of online casino companies operating in the UK skyrocketing, and more comprehensive legislation has also followed suit, with lawmakers keen to keep the industry within the confines of the law.
It is in the best interests of a trusted online casino to enlist the services of competent, hard-working lawyers. What exactly though, does a lawyer for an online gambling company have to oversee? Read on to find out.
The 2005 Gambling Act
The 2005 gambling act was introduced to help regulate the gambling industry and ensure both businesses and customers were protected.
In 2005 the Gambling Act was written into law by parliament citing the following as its objectives:
- Preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime.
- Ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way.
- Protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
Of course, this is not all that the Gambling Act covers, rather it is an example of the main objectives of the legislation. Lawyers employed by online casinos must ensure that their client is, at the bare minimum, compliant with all the requirements of the Gambling Act.
In regards to online gambling in particular this may mean in broad terms, that their client has systems and processes in place to detect and report suspicious criminal activity such as money laundering.
Also, that their client is open and transparent about return to player percentages on slot machines and house edges with regards to traditional casino games such as roulette and blackjack.
Finally, through their legal team, an online casino will have to demonstrate that they have legally sound and reasonable processes for prohibiting underage gambling. In addition to this there are a myriad of other requirements that the Gambling Act sets out, which a lawyer will assist their client in satisfying. 777 is an example of fully compliant and responsible gaming online casino which goes above and beyond to ensure their customers are protected.
Data Protection Laws
Brush up your GDPR knowledge by learning about all of the key facets it currently covers.
In May 2018 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was introduced across the European Union. The legislation was an update to data protection laws which had been set out in 1998, which was largely, no longer relevant thanks to advances in modern technology and the internet.
Under GDPR companies and organisations are required to safeguard the sensitive data of clients and employees in a demonstrable way. The regulations also limit the way in which companies and organisations can accrue personal data, also obliging them to be open and transparent with their customers as to how they securely store personal data.
Lawyers therefore must write things such as privacy policies which are made openly available to online casino customers. The legal team must also audit the online casino to ensure that its data capture and storage systems are compliant with GDPR.
This is no half-baked exercise with fines for breaking GDPR starting at either 4% of annual global turnover or €20 million, whichever is greater.
Taxation
Malta is an area where many global businesses are based in order to benefit from lower tax rates.
Most online casinos operating within the UK are based overseas in territories such as Gibraltar or Malta where tax rates are significantly lower. This is a policy not unique to the gambling industry, with many major global companies operating in a similar way.
Whilst this does reduce the overall tax bill of an online casino company, it does provide complications for legal teams. Gambling regulations in the UK require companies to pay a percentage of their earnings in tax to the government, regardless of which country they operate from.
In addition to this, gambling companies operating in the UK must donate a percentage of their annual turnover to dedicated gambling charities. It is the duty of the company’s legal team to ensure that all tax obligations are met, in the country of origin and the country of operation.
Advertising Procedures
In recent years the relationship between gambling and advertising has been brought into focus by several high-profile media campaigns. The law in relation to gambling advertising is very clear and must be adhered to stringently by companies and their legal teams.
However, one of the roles of a legal team is to ensure that gambling companies advertising campaigns are operated in a ‘morally correct’ way. Increasing public pressure on policy makers looks likely to lead to a change in advertising laws within the not too distant future.
By ensuring that their clients advertising campaigns are not only legal, but ‘morally correct’, gambling lawyers can keep their client one step ahead of the curve.
Settling Customer Disputes
Every service industry in the world is beset by customer complaints, but what matters in terms of the law is resolving them in a fair and reasonable manner. Gambling complaints usually centre on the adjustment of odds or a failure by a company to honour the outcome of a winning bet.
The Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS) acts as an intermediary between customers and companies to settle disputes. In 2019 there were 6,282 requests for adjudication with £634,426 being conceded to customers.
It is often the role of the legal team to ensure that customer complaints do not proceed to this stage. The first stage in doing that is ensuring that the client adheres strictly to the terms of the Gambling Act in regards to fairness and transparency.
When disputes arise regardless of this, lawyers must attempt to resolve the dispute in a way that is both fair to the client and the consumer
Summary
The role of a lawyer under the instruction of an online casino company is both complex and detailed. It is not sufficient for an online gambling organisation to adhere solely to the Gambling Act.
There are many other acts and pieces of legislation to cover, which is why a team of specialised lawyers is often required by large gambling companies to ensure the organisation is operating legally in all situations.
The Legal Aspect of Online Casinos
Despite popular beliefs, the online casino industry is one of the most-regulated entertainment businesses around. While many people think online casinos are some sort of “no man’s land” where there are no rules or clear laws to be followed, the reality is 180-degree different and, most of the time, there are several sets of laws that online casinos need to obey at the same time in order to function. In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at the legal side of online casinos and just how strict some of the jurisdictions are. So, no matter if you’re an online casino player yourself or you’re just curious to learn how these entities are organized from a legal point of view, we invite you to keep reading.
Casino License – the Cornerstone of Every Online Casino
The first requirement for a casino to function from a legal standpoint is the license it needs to receive from one of the regulatory bodies in the world. Not only that this license is mandatory for the online casino to exist, but it also binds that operator to a series of rules and legal conditions. For example, when a casino applies for a license, the regulatory authority that analyses the case needs to perform a thorough background check on the assets of the applicant. Furthermore, the management is also being reviewed to make sure the business is 100% legit and everything is in good order. Another aspect that is analyzed in the process of obtaining a casino license is the money reserve of the casino. Depending on the licensing authority, the amount of this reserve can vary from €500,000 and all the way to €2,000,000.
Among other criteria, when applying and getting a license, the online casino passes multiple checks to ensure that full compliance has been reached before the activity starts. This means that the local authority that issues the license checks the internal processes and procedures so that they match with the current legislation regarding online casino activities. In other words, an online casino licensed by a trustworthy licensing authority is always going to provide fair and legal services to their players because that’s one of the conditions in getting their license in the first place.
Top Licensing Authorities in the World
Now that you’ve seen how a licensing authority checks the casino and betting operators when it comes to issuing a license, it’s time to go a bit further into the subject and look at the most reputable such authorities. Before we start, you should know that there are several types of licenses, depending on the authority that issues them and the activity of the applicant. However, we’re not going into such details because it could be confusing for readers with no casino experience. Instead, we are going to separate the licenses into the country-specific ones – that only allow a casino or sportsbook to operate in one country – and the ones that have a broader range – allowing the licensee to offer casino and betting services in multiple territories.
Malta Gaming Authority
The MGA as it’s often abbreviated is the first casino regulatory authority in the world. This small island-nation serves as the headquarters for many world-class online casinos. No matter if you prefer a venue with standard currencies or a Bitcoin casino, the Maltese Gaming Authority licensed over 500 online casinos until March 2020 and there’s no sign of slowing down. Besides being the first nation to have regulatory authority for online casino and online betting services, Malta also has the advantage of offering their licensees the possibility to offer their services all across Europe – except the nations that voted their own gambling laws and established local licensing authorities.
United Kingdom Gambling Commission
The UKGC is an example of strictness and precision when it comes to regulating the online casino and betting industry. Known as one of the toughest licenses to obtain due to a series of rules protecting the players and making sure everything is fair and transparent, the UKGC seal of approval is the highest standard of fairness a casino or sportsbook can display. There’s no surprise that only the big names have succeeded in getting a license from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission. Besides the endless list of checks, the operators need to pass to get this license, maintaining one is just as difficult. Asking players for proof of income to make sure they don’t overspend or gamble borrowed money, securing complete protection for players with gambling issues, and keeping a very strict bonus behavior are just a few of the rigors imposed by the UKGC.
Online Gambling Laws in Canada 2020
Canada is renowned for its weather, the interplay of culture by its unique population, the accompanying experiences that come with this mix, and gambling.
It is ironic to think that a country with a population of less than 40 million would have one of the highest concentrations of gamblers in the world. However, this is exactly the case with Canada.
Of the various factors which may be identified as reasons for the growing interest of Canadians in online gambling, the ease with which individuals can access these platforms is probably the most pivotal.
It’s not surprising that most people rely on online casinos comparison tool to be on the safer side.
Canadians have been involved in betting for decades and the introduction of online gambling sites has only encouraged this preoccupation. Still, are there regulations that govern online gambling and determine the level of involvement of bettors?
To answer this question, we will attempt to identify the different laws that regulate the gambling industry in Canada.
Why are gambling laws enacted?
Like all other human activities, betting and online gaming are subject to varying levels of abuse. In essence, laws regulating the gambling industry are intended to ensure the overall protection of the state’s interests.
A perfect example of such laws is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 which prohibits banks from conducting transactions with offshore gaming sites.
The legal status of online gambling in Canada
There is no explicit law prohibiting online gambling.
Originally, gambling laws in Canada were quite restrictive and only limited forms of gambling were allowed. The 1970s saw a change and the revised regulations gave individual provinces the authority to regulate gambling in their territories.
For a while, there have been talks of enacting rules and regulations to guide online gambling but at present, no such laws have been passed. This simply means that you can access any online gambling site without fear of legal reparations. But there’s a catch.
Only licensed gambling platforms are allowed to offer gaming services to Canadians.
It is illegal to operate an unlicensed gaming site or online casino within Canada. Things could get a bit confusing at this point, but look at it this way – gambling is legal in Canada as long as your chosen site possesses the required license which indicates government approval.
The law is quite clear on this issue. However, an exception comes in the form of gambling companies that operate from overseas.
Unlike the US, Canada has no laws regulating offshore gambling and it would be impossible to argue on the legality or otherwise of such sites especially if they originate in countries where online gambling is legal.
Gambling laws and sports betting
Interestingly, there is a federal law that prohibits Canadians from betting on sporting events. Still, yet another loophole exists.
The law does not restrict bettors from making bets on sporting events via online gaming sites. Even fantasy sports are largely unregulated so you can enjoy your favorite games whenever you like.
Final thoughts
Just so you know, the Criminal code of Canada does not explicitly criminalize online gambling activities.
Also, your winnings are not taxable unless your gambling activities are seen as a form of employment. With the information provided, you can enjoy your online gaming experience without the fear of being on the wrong side of the law.
Sports betting legalization in the US: Where is it legal to betting sports in America?
There was a game-changing development in America’s sports industry in May 2018 when America’s highest court had given the go-ahead to bet on sports across the country. Many experts at the time had predicted that this move could see 32 states offering sports betting within five years. And they were right probably, as Illinois and Michigan legalized betting on sports in March 2020 a week before March Madness that made a total of 16 states in the US to legalize sports betting. Many lawmakers in various states are considering sports betting legislation.
The online gambling platform is rising rapidly worldwide as there are numbers of casino sites like casino NetBet where users can bet on sports but the complete legalization would open new gates of development in the country’s sports industry. Here, we have listed all the states in the US where sports betting is legalized and other states moving towards legalization.
States with complete sports betting legalization in the US
Nevada
Nevada was the only state in the country which had legal sportsbook even before the Supreme Court’s announcement. It has been more than 70 years since this state had legalized betting on sports making it the first state to regulate sports betting. The state has the largest sportsbooks in the world i.e. SuperBook and The Circa Las Vegas.
Delaware
After the decision of the Supreme Court to lift the ban on sports betting back in May 2018, Delaware became the first state to legalize betting on sports. Within a few weeks, after the band was lifted, the local casinos introduced sportsbooks within their premises and some prominent casinos began accepting bets in the first week of June 2019. But Delaware had passed a law in 2009 which allowed the lottery to provide expanded forms of parley and that’s why it was able to offer sportsbooks so rapidly after the ban was lifted.
New Jersey
The state has one of the largest markets in the US and it allowed betting on sports in the same year of the Supreme Court’s decision after the bill was signed by Governor Phil Murphy and he was also the first customer in the line to place the bet. Betting on sports is allowed in land-based casinos, online betting sites and tracks as well. The age for betting is 21 one and people over 18 are allowed to bet on horse races.
Mississippi
Mississippi launched sportsbooks in August 2018 and now over 23 platforms offer sports betting after the legalization in the state. As per the state law, online betting is allowed online in the premises of licensed casinos so outside mobile betting is prohibited.
West Virginia
The state legalized betting on sports in August 2018 and permitted online betting three months later in December. West Virginia Lottery Commission regulates the betting both online and offline.
New Mexico
This state of the country hasn’t passed any bill to authorize betting on sports across the state but Santa Ana Star Casino & Hotel and the Hilton Santa Fe Buffalo Thunder have launched sportsbooks. So there are only two places in the state for sports betting. Here, sports betting is believed as the Class III game (25 CFR § 502.4).
Pennsylvania
The state was one of the first stated to legalize sports betting but it launched at the end of 2018. The online betting on sports was permitted in May 2019 because the Gaming Control Board of the state wanted to establish successful offline sportsbooks before going for online betting.
Rhode Island
It legalized the betting on sports in 2018 but online betting was excluded from it. As of March 2019, online betting has been permitted by the lawmakers but the final launch date has not been decided yet. Rhode Island has two casinos that have sportsbooks.
Arkansas
More than 50% of the state voters voted in the favor of allowing sports betting and it launched in July 2018. Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort became the first sportsbook in the state to accept bets. Online betting and mobile sports betting is still illegal as per the constitutional amendment.
New York
New York had already made an amendment to the constitution to add seven private casinos in 2013 and the state had already passed a law to launch betting on sports once the federal government would allow sports betting. A year after the ban was lifted, the Gaming Commission of the state put out the guidelines including regulation, licensing, and operating. Online betting is still not permitted here.
Iowa
Iowa legalized sports betting year after the Supreme Court’s decision and the age of a person to gamble was decided 21 and above. Online betting is permitted but under the state law, a citizen has to register to licensed casinos personally to confirm the age and identity.
Oregon
Oregon has legalized offline sports and online betting. The state didn’t need new legislation to resume the sports betting. Oregon Lottery regulates both online and offline sports betting platforms.
Indiana
Indian legalized betting on sports in May 2019 and The Indiana Gaming Commission regulates and issues the license to the sportsbooks. Betting on pro and college sports is allowed but high school sports and eSports are excluded. Offline and online, both sports betting platforms are permitted in the state.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire allows betting on sports any person who is 18 or above and it legalized sports betting in June 2019. Just like retail sportsbooks, online betting is also legal but betting on in-state college sports is still banned. The lottery of the state regulates the operation of sports betting.
Illinois
Illinois legalized sports betting in June 2019 but it finally launched on 9th March 2020. Online betting on sports is not permitted yet but will be allowed in a few months. It had planned to launch the sports betting prior to March Madness but the COVID-19 would have an adverse effect on the wagering and sport. Betting on events including players below 18 is not permitted.
Michigan
Michigan passed the bill to legalize sports betting in December 2019 and launched it on March 11, 2020, a week ahead of March Madness. MGM Grand Detroit was the first sportsbook to accept bets. Online betting is legal but it may launch until the next year.
So these are the 16 states in the country where sports betting is completely is legal and persons with eligible age decided by state laws can place bets.
On the line
These states may have passed laws or bills to legalize wagering on sports but the launch dates have not been announced yet.
- Montana
- Washington, D.C.
- Tennessee
- North Carolina
- Colorado
Are monopolies lawful? Can you combat them in court?
In this heightened age of capitalism, it’s easy to believe that everything is based on competition and that there’s no limit of what an individual or a small company can achieve as long as they can provide value to the market.
But what exactly is the value? How do we measure it? Through the pricing? The number of problems solved? Or through just sheer emotion and the way we feel after using a specific product or service?
The thing is that value is a very subjective thing, it doesn’t really have a universal explanation and can’t be measured based on pure logic. It needs to take the subjective impact it has on its consumers. Only after that can it be taken into account and compared to the rest of the world in a sense.
But no matter what type of product is created nowadays, we always hear a large tech or other corporation mimic it and “monopolize” it. Take for example the search engine “industry”. No matter how much any new service may try to enter the market, they will be met with a brick wall called Google.
Nobody is complaining that Google is the most used service right? But what if we look at the market share of this tech sector? Can you name a few search engines off the top of your head? Ok, Bing and DuckDuckGo, but those are slowly dying as we speak, and the companies that operate them don’t really believe in their success in the future, and neither do the few people that use them.
In this sense we can easily say that Google has a monopoly over the search engine sector, right? But does the government or a law firm have the capability, or the authority to challenge it? In a sense, yes, yes it does, but it will be quite hard to outline the clear signs of monopolies.
You see, a monopoly is defined not by how much market share a particular brand holds in a specific segment, but how much they try and disrupt competition.
One example that we have about just pure, blatant monopoly is Regular Oil way back in the past. The company was purposely lowering their prices to a point where they were losing money, as long as they could limit that income for new competitors.
It’s not like Google is lowering its prices or anything, right? Well, because it doesn’t have anything to sell on a B2C basis, it’s more B2B.
However, on that B2B basis, it does indeed have the opportunity to offer the best deals should it decide to. You see, the competition that Google has right now is not “alarming for them, meaning that they don’t have to worry about lowering prices or disrupting the competition in any way. This is why no lawyer or government can challenge them in terms of antitrust law.
But as soon as a new search engine appears that does indeed offer a lot of competition and prices move, it may be perceived as a method for disrupting the competitor’s business, and can be tried in court.
This is a very basic explanation of how one can just spot a monopoly. Combatting one is a completely different topic, and is usually the government’s job.
What if the government owns the monopoly?
Combatting a privatized monopoly in the 21st century is not a hard process, as in most cases lawyers from the individual are not required. The only thing that can be done is the supply of information to relevant agencies such as the DOJ in the United States, which will then take care of the issue.
But what can one do when the government itself is the owner of the monopoly? Do they have the right to it? Well, they are the law, so why wouldn’t they, right? No, not really.
In most cases, one may believe that governments own monopolies in manufacturing industries. Things such as natural resources, consumer goods, etc. But in some countries, governments even control several service segments.
One example of a government-held monopoly is in Finland, of all places, and most of the Nordic countries as well.
The governments in these countries refuse to privatize the gaming sector, thus narrowing it down to one or two companies that are SOEs( State Owned Enterprises).
How does one combat this?
Well, for one, it needs to be decided if the monopoly is unlawful in the sense that, the end customer is getting much less value than he or she is paying for.
In the case of government-held monopolies, this is rarely the case, as the government is usually not oriented on profit as much as a private company would be.
But the Nordics are a completely different example as they monopolize the gaming industry to “get rid of it”.
But, we all know that getting rid of an industry is impossible simply through limiting its supply. The only thing that can be done through this just decreases the number of people that openly use the product, while in reality, the number remains the same as people find “illegal” means to access the product.
This is exactly the case in Northern Europe, according to Сasinopånett website, a local gaming news outlet.
Experts from the outlet say that people use untraceable currencies in order to surpass the country’s firewall, and access online methods of gaming as local, monopolized services are simply too taxing. This means that by decreasing the value of the product, the government is hoping to remove the sector completely when in reality, they are subjecting their users to even more risk than a privatized company would.
The only way to combat these monopolies is through sheer democracy, and the folks in Finland have already started.
If you want a very detailed explanation of the process, you can follow this link and see the outlet’s report. But, in short, it’s just the beginning of the process.
First is the task of determining that it’s an issue, which means surveys on surveys. Once the surveys show a majority recognizing it as a current or potential problem, it could be used as data to draft a bill in parliament. Naturally, though, it will have to be done through an opposition party, as the majority would never back such a thing.
Once the bill is drafted, it needs to be promoted across the nation, to a point where a referendum will have to be held for its approval. At that moment, the citizens have much more power than the lawmakers, therefore potentially making them into lawmakers.
This is the most democratic way of achieving justice, but it most certainly isn’t an easy way.
Therefore, if you are an owner of a small business, and find yourself at a disadvantage from a monopoly, make sure you identify it first before you draft a complaint to the government.
If it is a government-held monopoly, however, it’s best to inform research firms about it, or hire lawyers that are experts in antitrust law. Popularising the problem is the only way through that mess at this point in time.
