Gaming in Holland to launch Dutch-language newsletter
In order to even better serve the Dutch gambling industry, GiH will soon launch a Dutch-language newsletter.
Our new Dutch-language newsletter will complement our reporting in English and will focus, to a much greater degree, on local news and the land-based market. The newsletter will be published on a biweekly basis.
If you would like to receive our Dutch-language newsletter, please sign up here: aanmelden.gamingin.eu.
Dutch MPs request that KSA reveals identities of online license applicants
Dutch MPs Michiel van Nispen (SP) and Mirjam Bikker (CU) submitted a series of Parliamentary questions in which they request that the Netherlands Gambling Authority reveal the identities of all current and future applicants for online gambling licenses.
Current policy guidelines state that the Dutch regulator will only announce successful license applications and that the identity of unsuccessful applicants should remain confidential.
Van Nispen and Bikker also requested clarification whether the substantial welcome bonuses offered by licensed online operators are allowed under current regulations and how compliance with the existing ban on offering bonuses to under-24 players is being monitored.
Netherlands Gambling Authority starts investigation into advertising that appeals to young adults
In response to the abovementioned Parliamentary questions, the Netherlands Gambling Authority has announced an investigation into advertising practices of licensed online operators.
The investigation will consist of two lines of investigation. First, a request to licensed operators to report whether they have sent advertisements to minors and young adults, including emails, bonus offers, or push messages. Second, a call to consumers to report examples of any such marketing approaches.
Meanwhile, Netherlands Gambling Authority chair, René Jansen continues to reiterate his message that licensed operators have so far been insufficiently restrained in their approach, especially regarding advertising volumes.
Dutch government: “TOTO and Holland Casino must set example in showing responsibility”
State-owned online gambling operators, Holland Casino and TOTO must fulfill an exemplary role in demonstrating responsibility, Minister and State Secretary of Finance, Sigrid Kaag and Marnix van Rij write to the Lower House in a letter on Dutch state holdings.
The members of government state that both operators have recently lowered their monthly deposit limits for young adults and have decreased their broadcast advertising volumes to a greater degree than the industry average (having started, however, from a much higher than average base level).
Upcoming events
The following events may be of interest to the GiH community.
Dutch game supplier Eurocoin Gaming will hold open house on May 11-12 in Waalwijk.
The annual members’ meeting of trade association VAN Kansspelen will take place on May 12, also in Waalwijk.
Registration for the 2022 Gaming in Holland Conference & Expo, which will take place June 20-21 at Jaarbeurs Utrecht, is now open.
EASG 2022, the 13th European Conference on Gambling Studies and Policy Issues, has now been scheduled for 6-9 September 2022, and will take place in Oslo, Norway.
Dutch government to investigate cross-operator deposit limits and online advertising watershed hours
In a letter to the Dutch Lower House, Minister for Legal Protection, Franc Weerwind announced that the government will investigate the possibility of further restrictions on online gambling services, including watershed hours for advertising that is shown online, and cross-operator deposit limits.
Weerwind, however, also noted that the online sharing of videos and links would make it difficult to effectively enforce watershed hours for online advertising.
Regarding additional deposit restrictions, Weerwind noted:
“I would like to investigate two options: 1) adding a legal maximum to the existing self-declared deposit limits, and 2) examining the possibility of a single cross-operator deposit limit. It should be noted, however, that overly strict limits could lead to avoidance behavior, for instance playing with several operators simultaneously or switching to illegal offers, which would hurt the channelization target. For reasons of privacy, it was previously decided to not include cross-operator limits in the Remote Gaming Act. I am currently investigating whether technological progress has made such an approach feasible after all.”
Other news
TOTO accuses former brand ambassador Wesley Sneijder of breach of contract after switching to competing operator BetCity.
Betsson has applied for three online casino licenses in the Netherlands, i.e., Betsson.nl, Kroon Casino, and Oranje Casino.
Belgian regulator Kansspelcommissie has called for a number of changes to advertising regulations, including a ban on personalized ads for young people and an overall limit on the volume of advertisements.
Kambi has blamed “the temporary impact of regulatory headwinds in the Netherlands” and “tough 2021 comparatives” for Q1 2022 revenue tumbling 15% year-on-year.
Online gambling has reached its highest ever rate in the UK with one in four people gambling online, a UK Gambling Commission survey has uncovered.
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) recorded a 39% drop in suspicious wagering activity during Q1 2022.