Gaming in Holland 2018 Provides Key Updates to a Meticulous Regulation Process
Published June 27, 2018 by Lee R
Awards and insights filled out the Dutch roster to foster new hope for regulation.
Gaming in Holland 2018 has concluded with flying colours, with the 7th annual edition of GiH notable for its activity and its guests.
Key Proposal Drafted
A key breakthrough in the ongoing Dutch remote gaming impasse was disclosed when Ministry of Justice and Security official Dennis van Breemen announced that Minister for Legal Protection Sander Dekker had sent a letter to the Dutch Lower House outlining the new conditions for future licensees.
Conditions
The conditions addressed the coalition agreement’s requirement for land-based headquarters in the Netherlands for all online licensees, deferring to the Court of Justice of the European Union on the matter. The law softened the stance by limiting the requirement only to the companies that did not already have a land-based presence in the EU or European Economic Area.
Added Measures
The key caveat for within EU-placed operators is the appointment of a local representative in the field of addiction prevention,
Dekker also proposed further measures to distinguish between social gaming and problem or addictive gambling.
Next Step
The proposal has been sent to the Senate for the next round of approval.
The process will continue, with Rutger-Jan Hebben of Dutch industry association SpeelVerantwoordpredicting the market could open from anywhere from 1 to 3 years.
Awards Banquet
This year’s GIH also featured a Responsibility in Gaming Awards Dinner and Charity Raffle introducing the Responsibility in Gaming Awards honoring excellence and responsibility in the licensed Dutch gaming industry.
Winners for 2018 included HANDS 24 x 7 winning the Responsible Gaming Initiative of the Year; E-Assyst BV taking home Governance, Oversight and Social Care Organization of the Year; Janshen-Hahnraths Group taking Operator of the Year; Gaming Destination of the Year (Holland Casino Rotterdam); HANDS 24 x 7 and Mindway sharing Industry Innovation of the Year; Yvon Jansma of Centrum voorVerantwoordSpelen taking Female Role Model of the Year; or Jan Suyver of Netherlands Gaming Authority being honoured as Gaming Industry Ambassador of the Year.
The Big Raffle
The charity raffle during the dinner gave away stunning autographed Lionel Messi jersey, with the proceeds going to handicapped sports charitable foundation Fonds Gehandicaptensport.
Outlook
The outlook in the Netherlands is best summed up in the words of Netherlands Gaming Authority CEO Marja Appelman, who in her keynote speech stressed the importance of innovation in the land-based sector as the most effective means of protecting players from unlicenced offerings.
The Takeaway
The Netherlands government is clearly committed to regulation, but even more to protecting its vulnerable players.
