Gaming in Holland to co-host regulatory sessions at 2024 Casino Operations Summit
On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, Gaming in Holland is co-hosting several regulatory-themed sessions at the upcoming Casino Operations Summit in Amsterdam.
In these sessions, we will take a deeper look at the current state of the Dutch land-based market and identify areas in particular need of regulatory modernization.
Confirmed speakers include:
René Jansen, Chair, Netherlands Gambling Authority
Jason Frost, President, Euromat
Petra de Ruiter, CEO, Holland Casino
Henry Meijdam, Chair, VAN Kansspelen
Einar Waegemaekers, Managing Partner, Reac
Other speakers TBA
The Gaming in Holland sessions are exclusively available to representatives of Netherlands-licensed operators or their suppliers. If you would like to attend, please register for the 2024 Casino Operations Summit.
GiH partners and sponsors have free access to this part of the Casino Operations Summit's program. Please email Lucien Wijsman at Registrations@CasinoOperationsSummit.net for more details.
Dutch government: “No cross-operator deposit limits before 2025”
Responding to a Lower House motion that called on the government to introduce cross-operator deposit limits before the summer, Minister for Legal Protection, Franc Weerwind said that such limits – even if technically feasible – could only be introduced in 2025 at the earliest.
It is difficult to imagine that the Lower House majority that voted in support of the motion would have been unaware that the proposed timetable for introducing these deposit limits was wholly unrealistic. As such, both the motion itself and its adoption by a Lower House majority are illustrative of the current state of the political debate on online gambling in the Netherlands.
In related news, Weerwind has submitted the Ministry of Justice's proposals to improve safer gambling practices to the European Commission for consultation.
Netherlands Gambling Authority imposes record €19.6m fine on Gammix Limited
The Netherlands Gambling Authority has issued its largest ever fine of €19.6m to Gammix Limited for offering online gambling without a license in the country.
In June 2022, Gammix was ordered to leave the Dutch market or risk being issued with hefty penalty payments. Due to non-compliance with this previous order, the Dutch regulator ordered Gammix to pay €4.4m in March 2023.
As a result of Gammix's ongoing violations, the Netherlands Gambling Authority has now issued a €19.6m fine – 6.5% of the operator's estimated annual turnover of €303m in the Netherlands – on top of the previous penalty payment.
Netherlands Gambling Authority Chair, René Jansen commented: “Dutch players must be protected. This is why we are cracking down on illegal offers. Unlicensed operators often pay little attention to player protection. This operator, for instance, had no clear age verification system, which is extremely harmful.”
Netherlands Gambling Authority releases report on match-fixing trends
The Netherlands Gambling Authority has released its 2023 report on match-fixing trends. The report found that only six incidents of suspicious betting activity were reported to the Sports Betting Intelligence Unit (SBIU) – a sharp decrease compared to the forty reported incidents in 2022.
Since the cause of the sharp drop in reports is unclear, the Dutch regulator highlighted that the drop may be due to operators having become less aware of the need to immediately report suspicious activity to the SBIU when spotted.
EP backs plans for new Digital Identity Wallet
New EU regulation backed by the European Parliament will allow EU citizens to identify and authenticate themselves online without having to resort to commercial providers.
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) hailed the decision as a significant milestone in the journey towards a more secure and inclusive digital environment for all citizens across the EU.
Upcoming events
The following event(s) may be of interest to the GiH community.
Kindred's annual Sustainable Gambling Conference will be held March 20, 2024, at the Kia Oval in London.
The 2024 Casino Operations Summit, which focuses on land-based casino operations, will take place April 23-25 in Amsterdam.
The 2024 Gaming in Spain Conference returns to Madrid on May 6, 2024.
The 2024 Gaming on Holland Conference, which is scheduled for June 6, 2024, will feature Netherlands Gambling Authority Chair, René Jansen and Kindred CEO, Nils Andén as conference keynote speakers.
The 14th European Conference on Gambling Studies and Policy Issues, organized by the European Association for the Study of Gambling (EASG), will be held September 10-13, 2024, in Rome, Italy.
The 2024 Gaming in Germany Conference returns to Berlin on November 5, 2024. Save the date!
Court ruling casts doubt on remaining Dutch gambling monopolies
A decision by the East Brabant District Court could have far-reaching implications for the remaining Dutch gambling monopolies, including land-based sports betting and instant lotteries.
Gambling operator JVH gaming & entertainment submitted applications for land-based sports betting, instant lottery, and Lotto draws to the Netherlands Gambling Authority. These license applications were subsequently rejected because these licenses, in accordance with existing Dutch gambling legislation, could only be granted to a single operator (presently: Nederlandse Loterij).
The East Brabant District Court, however, ruled that the adoption of the Remote Gambling Act has called into question the legal justification for only granting these licenses to a single entity. Specifically, a single license system for land-based sports betting is no longer consistent with an open licensing system for online sports betting.
Conceivably, this ruling could also impact, albeit in the longer term, Holland Casino's monopoly license for offering land-based casino (table) games. This ruling will also have implications for the proposed privatization of Nederlandse Loterij.
As a result of the court's ruling, the Netherlands Gambling authority must now reassess JVH's original license applications.
Other news
Compliance outfit BetComply has launched ComplyCheck to help license holders in the Netherlands navigate increasingly complex duty of care requirements.
The GB Gambling Commission has published the first data from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain.
Licensed gambling revenue in Sweden fell 1.2% to SEK27.13bn (€2.42bn) in 2023.
Betsson’s BML Group subsidiary is the first gambling operator blacklisted by Finland’s National Police Board (NPB), blocking any payments to its brands from players in the country.