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PokerStars will not return to the Netherlands in 2023 ...and more!

Gaming in Holland webinar on Dutch online gambling advertising restrictions

Recently, the Dutch government published a decree that bans most forms of advertising for online gambling services from July 1, 2023.


To clarify the new rules as much as possible, as well as to get a sense of their expected market impact, Gaming in Holland will organize a webinar on Wednesday, May 10 at 15:00 CET.


The webinar is titled “Making sense of the new Dutch online gambling advertising restrictions” and includes the following speakers:

  • Dr. Alan Littler, gaming lawyer at Kalff Katz & Franssen

  • Peter-Paul de Goeij, MD, Netherlands Online Gambling Association (NOGA)

Attending the webinar is free. Don't miss it! Register today.


VAN Kansspelen appoints new director to serve alongside new chair

VAN Kansspelen, the trade association serving the interests of the Dutch land-based slots sector, has appointed Daan Keij as its new director. Keij will serve alongside Henry Meijdam, who was recently appointed as the trade association's new chair.


Keij has a background in public affairs and previously represented the interests of various interest groups, including the Royal Dutch Hunters Association, BOVAG, and Dutch Brewers.


Keij: “I am happy with and honored by my appointment. In recent weeks I have already been able to speak with several VAN members. The Dutch slots sector is an industry that is justifiably proud of its innovative and attractive products and services, while simultaneously being very aware of its social responsibility.”


UK government publishes gambling whitepaper

The UK government has published its long-awaited proposals to overhaul the country's regulated gambling sector. The whitepaper contains the first significant reform recommendations since the invention of the smartphone.


The proposals include checks on players who are losing large amounts of money. These will kick in when a player loses £1,000 in 24 hours, or £2,000 over 90 days.


The whitepaper also proposes a consultation on stake limits of between £2 and £15 per spin for online slots machines, including even lower limits and greater protections for 18 to 24-year-olds. The age limit for participation in lotteries and football pools will be increased from 16 to 18 years.


In a relaxation of the current rules, land-based casinos could be allowed to offer sports betting in the future.


“For the gambling industry, these measures are not as bad as once feared,” one industry expert said.


Upcoming events

The following event(s) may be of interest to the GiH community.

  • SG:certified will host a free webinar on how to stay compliant in the Danish gambling market. The webinar will feature Anders Dorph, Director of Spillemyndigheden and Morten Ronde CEO of the Danish Online Gambling Association, and has been scheduled to take place on May 10.

  • The 2023 Gaming in Spain Conference takes place in Madrid on May 18, 2023. Confirmed speakers include both the current and former leadership of Spain's national regulator DGOJ. Registration is now open!

  • The 2023 Gaming in Germany Conference has been scheduled to take place October 16, 2023, in Berlin. Additional details will follow soon. Don't miss it. Save the date!

PokerStars will not return to the Netherlands in 2023

PokerStars has recently withdrawn its application for a Dutch remote license and will not return to the Netherlands for the foreseeable future, Meneer Casino reports.


“The withdrawal was simply a question of resourcing and the business had other priorities at the time in terms of market launches,” an unnamed insider was quoted as saying.


However, the withdrawal of PokerStars’ license application (whether or not prior to a formal rejection by the Dutch regulator) continues the pattern that large international operators largely failed to acquire a Dutch online license. Of those, only Kindred, Bet365, and Entain (through the later acquisition of BetCity) managed to enter the Dutch regulated online market.


Other news

The WSOP International Circuit round at Holland Casino Venlo kicks off this Friday.


The German regulator Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) has classified “certain forms” of daily fantasy sports as illegal gambling.


MGM-owned LeoVegas Group has agreed a deal to acquire a majority stake in games developer Push Gaming.


The Australian government has announced a ban on the use of credit cards for online gambling.

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