Netherlands Pushes Back Regulation Date, Again
Published November 28, 2019 by Lee R
The delays are numerous in the Netherlands, requiring more time to sort out the ramifications of regulation legislation.
In a somewhat unsurprising development, the Netherlands has delayed the launch of regulated online gambling.
The New Date
The new start date has now been pushed back six months to 1 July 2021 to create sufficient time to pass and vet applications from operators.
Changes Necessitate
Justice and Security Minister Sander Dekker attributed the delay directly to proposed changes made to Remote Gambling Act which means the delay won’t come into force until 1 January 2021, six months later than originally expected, with the delay confirmed by secondary legislation around licensing delayed by the same six months.
Licenses Already on Hold
The move comes after Netherlands regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) previously announced that no gambling company would be able to apply for a licence until the new approved legislation was actually enacted.
The Verification Process
Another six months are required for processing and checking applications. This process includes confirming that each operator has a robust age-verification system in place. This step has become vital because in the past underage gamblers were unable to access state-run sports betting without problems.
Youth Protections
The government has through the Nederlandse Loterij upgraded its processes to block younger gamblers and Dekker says he expects other operators in other verticals do do the same, or face sanctions, an odd focus since regulation has actually not come into effect yet.
Advertisements Not a Concern
Some operators are taking heart in the fact that Dekker did not say advertising prevention was on the regulation agenda as an “objective of the current Dutch gambling policy.”
Adaptive Measures
Legislation adaptations would further include tightening existing gambling rules in certain areas, with measures such as time limits on advertising through certain types of media, prevention of behaviour targeting and free play credit and bonus restrictions, and an overhaul of the celebrity endorsements permits, in regards to those with a strong influence over younger players in the Netherlands.
Outlook
As news updates, it is getting difficult to take timelines to heart, because the motivation of the consensus government in the Netherlands to come online with gaming play remains unproven.
