Dutch Advisory Board on Regulatory Burden advises against new player protection rules
The Netherlands’ national Advisory Board on Regulatory Burden (Adviescollege toetsing regeldruk – ATR) has advised against the Ministry of Justice and Security's recently proposed player deposit limit and responsible gaming rules.
According to ATR, the Ministry failed to consider less burdensome alternatives to the mandatory contact moment in cases when players want to increase their personal playing limits, or the proposed closer monitoring of player behavior.
As a result, ATR recommends that the Ministry's new rules, which were scheduled to enter into force in Q4 2024, should not be introduced as currently proposed.
Although this would appear to be good news for the industry, ATR suggests low, non-increasable deposit limits and a total ban on all online gambling advertising as “less burdensome” alternatives for licensed operators.
It is remarkable, to say the least, that an advisory board explicitly intended to protect enterprises, professionals, and citizens against government overregulation would express a preference for even more restrictive rules than originally proposed.
Arjan Blok succeeds Niels Onkenhout as CEO of Nederlandse Loterij
On Monday, Arjan Blok succeeded Niels Onkenhout as CEO of Nederlandse Loterij. Blok was previously the operator's CFO, a position he held since 2016.
Before switching to lotteries and gambling, Arjan Blok served as Member of the Board and CFO of Essent, and CFO at RWE Retail.
As the Dutch Lower House is currently considering the privatization of Nederlandse Loterij, it is possible that Blok will eventually oversee this process.
Don't miss the 2024 Gaming in Holland Conference!
The 2024 Gaming in Holland Conference, which is scheduled to take place June 6, at the KIT Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam, has announced its agenda.
Confirmed speakers include:
René Jansen, Chair of the Netherlands Gambling Authority
Nils Andén, CEO of Kindred
Matevz Mazij, CEO, Bragg Gaming Group
Dinos Stranomitis, Director & COO of Altenar
Josh Hodgson, Senior Associate at H2 Gambling Capital
Frank Tolboom, Partner at Kalff Katz & Franssen
Dr. Mathias Spitz, Senior Partner, Melchers Law
Dr. Christian Rapani, Managing Partner, Rapani Rechtsanwälte
& many more!
This year's GiH Conference will feature sessions on the Netherlands’ highly volatile political climate (with regard to gambling policy), player claims and Malta's Bill 55, the possible end of the country's land-based gambling monopolies, the implementation of the KSA's new responsible gambling rules, and much more.
With a packed agenda full of highly relevant topics, the 2024 edition of the GiH Conference will certainly not be boring!
Don't miss it! Register today.
Other events
The following event(s) may be of interest to the GiH community.
Dutch game supplier Eurocoin Gaming will hold open house on May 15-16 in Waalwijk. Trade association VAN Kansspelen will hold its spring General Members’ Meeting on May 16 at the same location.
The 2024 Gaming in 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 trade show iGB L!ve returns to Amsterdam from July 16-19.
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!
“Tax increases threaten viability of land-based slots sector”
Recent increases in the national gambling tax rate, as well as increased regulatory burdens are threatening the long-term viability of the Dutch land-based slots sector, trade association VAN Kansspelen says.
According to calculations by KPMG, a 1% increase in the gambling tax rate (which is levied on gross revenue rather than profits) would lead to 20% higher losses in the sector. Any further increase would thus have a disproportionate impact on the sector.
In addition to increased tax and regulatory burdens, land-based slots arcades must also cope with their inability to pass on increased costs to their customers, as outdated regulations impose (non-indexed) maximum stakes on the sector.
Henry Meijdam, chair of VAN Kansspelen, commented: “KPMG's findings are crystal clear: without some adjustment to this excessive tax burden, our sector – which is well-regulated and offers a significant degree of player protection – will simply collapse. This can only benefit illegal alternatives.”
Other news
As France's regulated online gambling market stagnates, illegal alternatives see significant growth, trade association AFJEL warns.
Sweden's government has proposed to close the land-based casino venues operated by state-owned operator Svenska Spel.
TG.Casino, a crypto casino powered by Telegram, has entered a new partnership with Italian football giant AC Milan.
A new YouGov survey indicates that US bettors are increasingly enamored of Bet365, which already outcompetes local favorites DraftKings and FanDuel among younger punters.