NOGA Welcomes Plans for Revised Dutch Gambling Bill

The Netherlands Online Gambling Association (NOGA) has expressed its support for plans by Dutch politicians to introduce a revised gambling bill aimed at strengthening regulations in the country.

Key Proposals

Teun Struycken, the State Secretary for Legal Protection, unveiled the wide-ranging proposals last week. Among the key measures are:

1. Raising the minimum age for online slots to 21
2. Expanding the powers of the gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), to clamp down on illegal operators

NOGA’s Response

Erik Konings, Acting Director of NOGA, commented:

“The members of NOGA stand for a safe and responsible gambling offer. That is why we support the idea of no longer focusing solely on addiction prevention in the gambling policy, but to strive for the prevention of gambling-related harm. Gambling should be a source of entertainment, not a source of problems.”

Konings also welcomed the government’s commitment to tackling unlicensed gambling, stating:

“We are also pleased to hear that combating illegal supply is given greater priority. We have been expressing our concern about the size of the illegal market for some time now, and the figures published today [Monday, February 17] by the Gaming Authority [KSA] show that of every euro gambled in the Netherlands, half is now wagered with illegal providers. The regulator indicates that it needs more resources to take a stand against this, and we hope that they will get them.”

However, he also cautioned that certain measures, such as increasing the minimum age for online slots, could unintentionally push more players towards unregulated operators:

“A number of policy proposals of the Cabinet, such as raising the minimum age to 21, could further increase the flight towards the illegal market that is currently taking place. However, we will await the further elaboration of this before we can give a detailed response.”

A Collaborative Approach

Konings concluded by emphasising the importance of shared responsibility in ensuring a safe gambling environment:

“Finally, we fully endorse the view of this Cabinet that the protection of citizens is a shared responsibility of all parties that can influence that protection. We will therefore continue to make every effort to arrive at an attractive, safe and responsible gambling offer in cooperation with all parties involved.”

The proposed reforms signal a shift in the Netherlands’ approach to gambling regulation, with a stronger emphasis on consumer protection and the fight against illegal operators.