The legalisation and regulation of online gambling is a result of the Remote Gambling Act. The objective of the Act is to create a sufficiently attractive legal online gambling offer, so that Dutch consumers who want to gamble via the Internet can go there. He plays there in a protected environment. The Gaming Authority supervises.
Earlier this year, the Gaming Authority announced that 29 applications had been submitted. There is an open system: all applicants who meet the conditions receive a permit.
René Jansen, Chairman of the board of directors of the Gaming Authority, says that the 10 licenses that have now been granted are only the beginning. “There are still applications pending. There is a category of providers that has not yet been allowed to submit a permit application. This is the result of the Postema motion that was submitted during the debate on the bill in the Senate. Other providers may also be interested, but are waiting to submit an application because they are not ready yet. Strict conditions must be met and strict testing is carried out. But there will certainly be more license holders.”
The Remote Gambling Act not only legalises and regulates online gambling. Compared to existing legislation, there are also additional requirements in the field of addiction prevention and advertising. The Koa Act is an important step in the modernization of Dutch gambling policy. This is aimed at protecting consumers, preventing gambling addiction and combating crime and illegality.
The Act was eventually enacted on 1 April this year, allowing the market to open six months later on 1 October.
Entain, Betsson, LeoVegas and Kindred Group all announced they would cease taking bets from customers in the Netherlands ahead of the market opening, in the hope of receiving a Dutch igaming licence. Many of these operators claim this was a result of a last-minute change in the terms for launch, having previously ceased advertising and offering local payment services.
Source: GMB
