French online gaming regulator Arjel has stepped up its efforts against 'unlicensed' operators, taking seven French Internet Service Providers to court to block access to legitimate EU gaming sites.

Controversially, the ISPs have fought back, claiming British operators Betfred and Stan James, both licensed in Gibraltar, were located in 'EU countries or in countries that have agreements with the Union'.

ISP blocking is an area already fraught with problems, with some providers commenting that blocking sites could slow down networks and that some sites may just change their domain name to sidestep the measures.

Some of the operators being blocked have not been notified of the process, with Tim Cook, General Counsel and Company Secretary for Stan James, commenting that he had 'not been made aware' that Arjel was requesting French ISPs to block access. This will make startling reading for gaming operators, with Arjel threatening fines of €100,00 a day for leaving a site open, regardless of whether it is directed at French customers.

For many, the regulator appears to have bitten off more than it can chew.  Arjel is trying to regulate a global industry in 2010 like a national industry in the 90s. You can't un-invent the internet, or stop new technology. At the end of the day if EU citizens want to access an EU licensed website, why should the government think it can stop them?

Right2bet wants to hear from French customers who have been stopped from using legitimate sites and disagree with their Government on this issue. Please get in touch via the rant box or write to your MEP.