Once again, Germany and Sweden have found themselves on the wrong side of an investigation which is being led by non other than the European Commission. The investigation is on the prohibitions Germany and Sweden have put on online gambling. The questionable behavior comes up of whether or not this prohibition is violating free trade agreements the European countries have with one another.

The European Union law declares that member states should be able to trade on an equal footing with each other. Other disgruntled European countries are claiming that Germany and Sweden are increasing their online gambling policies because they have no interest in working with the continent, but are rather looking out for themselves in protecting their state run lotteries and gambling monopolies.

“By commencing these broad proceedings only thirty days after the law entered into force, the Commission shows its determination to fight restrictions and, in particular, prohibitions, which are not backed by genuine consumer protection or public order interests,” said Sigrid Ligne who is the General Secretary of the European Gaming and Betting Association.

Germany is being investigated by the European Commission specifically for passing a treaty in the midst of January of this year that bans online gaming and betting. Any bets placed on horse racing was still allowed, but all else was deemed illegal. This new treaty was created after Germany had banned gambling all together at the beginning of the year and was supposed to appease the European Union but to no avail. The European Commission did however, find that Sweden should not be allowed to permit betting in physical casinos or online through a State monopoly while, at the same time, barring foreign operators from offering online gambling.

The European Commission gave the Scandinavian nation two months in order to reply or initiate a compliance to the terms, but have not heard anything from them yet. In the mean time the European Commission will look into the rules of poker games and tournaments and see whether they are consistent with the European Union laws.

“A member state cannot invoke the need to restrict its citizens’ access to betting services if, at the same time, it incites and encourages them to participate in state lotteries, games of chance or betting that benefits the state’s finances,” read a statement from the European Commission.