Another dispute between a land-based sporting event and an online gambling operator - this time in France - is underway. This time, however, the case appears to be garnering more heightened attention from the European Union. Following the banishment of the Green Cycle Team from the Tour de France due to their sponsorship by the online sportsbook, casino and poker room, Unibet, European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, Charlie McCreevy, has pledged he will broaden his current court case against the French government's casino gambling monopoly to include provisions on cycling.

McCreevy notified lawyers of the Green Cycle Team and the International Cycling Union that he fully supports their case. McCreevy also elaborated on the hypocritical actions of the French government, specifically pointing out that Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) is the leading financial backer of the Tour de France. The PMU is France's horseracing monopoly, and is encouraging bettors to use its service to place bets on the Tour de France. Furthermore, another cycling team is being sponsored by the Belgian Lottery, while yet another is being sponsored by France's National Lottery, Francaise des jeux.

It is also worth mentioning that the Green Cycle Team was banned earlier in the month from two cycling races going through the Belgian Ardennes - even after the team compromised to remove the Unibet logos from their uniforms. This banishment came at the hands of the Amaury Sports Organization (ASO), who incidentally, also organizes the Tour de France. They are currently being sued by lawyers for the Green Cycle Team for roughly $7 million.

Obviously, Tour de France organizers have peculiar opinions about gambling advertising and sponsorship. The ASO claims they would be leaving themselves open to being criminally prosecuted by the French government if they were to permit team sponsorships by casinos and gaming companies. However, McCreevy points out that the fact remains there is a policy of discrimination in France. And in the particular case of the Tour de France - considering it is a race that courses though the United Kingdom and Belgium - the French government is propagating what it is discriminating in the first place.