The gambling market in the Netherlands is set to grow in leaps and bounds despite a number of stumbling blocks, the Dutch government finally approved the long awaited Remote Gaming Act in Feb 2019.
This has paved the way for the Netherlands to roll out new iGaming regulations and will most likely see a legalized online gambling industry up and running by 2021.
iGaming licenses are expected to be issued during the middle of 2020.
The gambling watchdog in the country, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) is wasting no time on moving forward in its preparation of gaming regulations.
A lot of gambling regulators across the world usually decide what kind of regulations they want to put in place when it comes to protecting their citizens and the local market.
These consumer protection regulations are very important as it protects local players from being exploited, limits the risk of problem gambling and ensures that iGaming operators know what boundaries they should not cross and what responsibilities they must fulfil to their players.
The KSA has decided to take things one step further and has called on key stakeholders in the industry and the general public to provide their feedback on what they would like addressed as part of the consumer protection guidelines that will feature in the new iGaming regulations.
KSA Will Accept Feedback Till April 22
The KSA has decided to host a number of consultations across the country which will be open to stakeholders and the public. Those that are interested in taking part in any of these sessions, must first register with the KSA and do so before March 18.
The first session is scheduled to take place on March 26 in Eindhoven, followed by another session in Amsterdam on March 28. Some of the other scheduled sessions include one on April 2 in Zwolle; April 9 in Utrecht and April 11 in Rotterdam.
The KSA has taken a strong stance to illegal online gambling operators by deciding to raise the penalties imposed on these offshore operators. The earlier fines were set at €150,000 but under the new gaming regulations the fines have been increased to €200,000.
A lot of the emphasis will be placed on iGaming operators who will have to come out with strict guidelines that prevent minors from gambling, do detailed identification and age verification checks as well as have a self-exclusion program in place.