Netherlands to Rework Gambling Legislation
The Netherlands is pushing strongly towards the liberalization of its own gambling market. Until now, the state controlled all related activities, but a change to the country’s Remote Gambling Act may break the ice and open the sluice gates of private investment. In the following lines, we will see how the state will open up its market to private investors.
The Netherlands are debating a rapid change of their gambling climate. With the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security pushing for the liberalization of the Remote Gambling Act, there’s plenty of reason for excitement. Up until now, all activities were supervised by the state in full and the only legal entity was the state-owned Holland Casino.
However, with the proposed changes, the mold may finally be breaking up. One of the spearheads of these changes is the Minister for Legal Protection Saner Dekker who has laid bare his plan for an overhaul of the industry, containing three main points.
Dekker Pushes Ahead With a Three-Way Plan
Dekker’s proposal to revitalize the Dutch gambling industry, which has been in the doldrums because of the strong grip of the state, will have three main pivots. For starters, allowing more operators on the market will certainly drive greater participation of players.
Concerns over that have already been expressed. In the past few years, several thousand gamers, Dekker said in a letter, have wagered without any protection. Meaning that the gambling dens they frequented online may not have been fully in line with the industry’s values of integrity.
As such, Dekker’s put the emphasis on preventing gambling addiction, especially among the young. If a company wants to operate on the territory of the Netherlands, it will have to also open local offices and fully comply with regulations issued by the Dutch authorities.
Secondly, all companies will have to appoint a gambling addiction prevention representatives in the countries. This will help the industry raise awareness over the downsides of all gambling activities.
Lastly, Dekker has requested a clear differentiation between games of chance and games of skill. In other words, customers must be aware that in a certain scenario, good as they may be at certain games, they will continuously turn a loss, even if it’s a mild one.
Lawmakers Rally Under the Same Banner
Meanwhile, the Netherlands Gaming Authority CEO Marja Appelman has urged any future players to adhere to the laws in a letter. Appleman has also suggested that all operators seek a way to innovate the sector.
And then, perhaps one of the biggest boons of the Remote Gambling Act is that the state monopoly may be finally removed and Holland Casino could be sold off to private investors. Letting fresh capital into the sector may have a beneficial effect on the state’s coffers as well.
However, the shadow of problem gambling is lurking all across the major bastions of wagering. The UK has been struggling to reduce the number of its own problem gamblers and so far the industry has had to undertake major changes.