The Netherlands Issues Subordinate Gambling Regulations

The Netherlands’ government has published regulations regarding the measures set out in the Remote Gaming Act. This is with the aim of enabling the parliamentarians to submit comments on the proposed rules.

The regulations set out in the Remote Gaming Decree set out how operators can conduct business in the Netherlands, and the key conditions they must fulfil in order to secure a licence.

Operators will be eligible for five-year licences, with Dutch gambling regulator the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) to make a final decision on applications within six months of their submission.

Licences will cover peer-to-peer casino games (such as poker), casino games where the players bet against the house, sports betting and betting on horse racing, and not online lotteries.

For sports betting, licensees may not offer odds on youth or amateur competitions, or on events that are considered easy to manipulate. Furthermore, the sports on which betting can be offered will be determined by a blacklist, which will include all sports not covered.

Gambling advertising, meanwhile, will be subject to a watershed beginning at 9PM. This had originally been set between 7PM and 6AM, before being amended following a suggestion put forward by the House of Representatives in December 2019. For lottery products, the advertising window will remain between 7PM and 6AM.