In what appears to be a conflict of interest, eBay and its subsidiary PayPal seem to be taking opposing stances in relation to the pending congressional restrictions on Internet gambling in the US.
As recently as February, PayPal Europe has been resurfacing relations within online gambling through its partnership with Betfair, whilst its owner eBay has put itself firmly on the side of those looking to ban online gambling in the US.
eBay's backing of the proposed bill would appear to make it very difficult for its subsidiary to continue its business relationships with online gambling entities based in Europe. This would seem to point to the online auctioning company’s long-term desire for a global ban on Internet gambling, which when considering the unison between PayPal and Betfair, seems a strange move.
In a statement issued earlier this year Betfair Chief Executive Mark Davies commented on the partnership as a “significant step for Betfair to be the first online gambling company approved by PayPal Europe.” However at present, there appears to be no PayPal deposit methods on the Betfair site.
Fox News reported on speculation that eBay is attempting to win favour with online gambling ban champion Bob Goodlatte, due to his seat on the Congressional Internet Caucus, whilst other reports have thrown protectionism into the equation. | 
