2025 Gaming in Holland Conference – Save the date!
The 2025 Gaming in Holland Conference will take place June 5, 2025, in Amsterdam.
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Netherlands Gambling Authority warns operators over affordability checks
The Netherlands Gambling Authority has flagged various bad practices it found during an assessment of the implementation of mandatory affordability checks by licensed operators.
In October, the Netherlands introduced monthly deposit limits of €700 or €300 for those aged 18-23. If players want to exceed these limits, operators are required to carry out affordability checks to ensure they are financially able to spend more.
However, the Dutch gambling regulator found that some operators fail to carry out these checks in accordance with established regulations. For instance, some operators relied on questionnaires and plausibility tests rather than pay slips or tax returns.
The regulator also said that certain assets, such as the value of the player's primary residence or income derived from loans should not be included in the affordability check.
Affiliates advertising “gambling without deposit limit” receive 400k monthly visits
Netherlands-facing affiliate websites that promote “gambling without deposit limit” draw over 400,000 unique monthly visits, a recent investigation by KVA, the Dutch quality mark for responsible affiliates, shows.
Since the introduction of monthly deposit limits in October 2024, unique visits to illegal affiliates promoting gambling offers without deposit limits grew no less than 240%.
This finding illustrates that the illegal market tends to react quickly and effectively to restrictions imposed on licensed operators, KVA said.
Duch football clubs looking to crypto to replace betting sponsors
With a ban on betting sponsorships set to enter into force on July 1, 2025, Dutch professional teams are increasingly switching to sponsorship deals with cryptocurrency exchanges.
Addition experts expressed concern and warned about the similarities between gambling and crypto trading.
UK parliament approves stake limits and gambling levy
The UK parliament has approved statutory stake limits for online slots: £5 for adults 25+ and £2 for those aged 18-24. Additionally, a statutory gambling levy has also been established to fund research, prevention and treatment of gambling harm.
These new regulations mark a major shift in the UK's previously rather liberal approach to gambling regulation.
The new measures will be implemented in phases, with operators given six weeks from the instrument's implementation to enforce the £5 limit, followed by an additional six-week period to implement the £2 limit for younger adults.
Dutch land-based gambling sector facing severe difficulties
The three largest land-based gambling operators in the Netherlands are all facing significant difficulties, Dutch financial daily FD reports.
State-owned Holland Casino recently announced a reorganization, including forced redundancies. JVH, which operates the Jack's Casino brand, has so far failed to refinance a €240m loan that was originally due in May 2024. Janshen-Hahnraths, owner of the Fair Play Casino brand, announced it would launch a judicial procedure to force joint creditor approval of a debt restructuring.
All three operators are suffering from a toxic mix of the aftereffects of Covid-related closures inflation, and the recent gambling tax increase (from 30.5% to 34.2% of GGR).
A further increase of the gambling tax rate to 37.8%, which is currently scheduled for 2026, would likely lead to widespread closures and bankruptcies in the Dutch land-based gambling sector.
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