Kansspelautoriteit Pushes Back Online Gambling Launch in Netherlands by Six Months

Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has pushed back the launch date of the forthcoming online gambling market in the Netherlands by six months until July 1, 2021, due to the government requiring more time to craft secondary gambling legislation.

Last week, Netherlands Minister of Justice and Security Sander Dekker informed the country’s lower house of parliament that proposed amendments to the Remote Gambling Act (RGA) meant he now expects the RGA to take effect on January 1, 2021, six months later than previously announced.

KSA had previously stated that it would only officially begin accepting online license applications after the RGA’s enactment. The KSA further stated that vetting these applications would take six months, so the previously stated market launch of January 1, 2021, will now be delayed until July 1, 2021.

In a more favourable announcement, Dekker rejected calls from some legislators to implement a total ban on gambling advertising, saying “restricting gambling advertising is … not in itself an objective of the current Dutch gambling policy.”

Dekker said research indicated that harsh advertising restrictions would negatively impact the government’s desire to “channel” local punters to locally-licensed gambling sites, which will be under far greater oversight in relation to responsible gambling initiatives. As a result, excessively hobbling local gambling sites’ ability to market their wares could have an “upward effect on addiction problems.”

Dekker cautioned that the government may look at strengthening existing advertising rules, including time-windows for marketing via certain media, limiting bonus offers or free-play credits, banning behavioural targeting and limiting celebrity endorsements, particularly if said celebs have strong youth-appeal.

Source: Gaming in Holland