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Dutch Regulator Frustrated with Irresponsible Online Casinos
By Shane Addinall Jun 28, 2022 IndustryAfter addressing irresponsible operators at the Gaming in Holland event, Rene Jansen further expresses his concerns about the possibility of tighter regulations in a blog. Will some operators continue to push boundaries until it is too late?Recently in a blog post, Rene Jansen shared about how the lack of accountability from certain licensed operators causes frustrations and creates the perception that legal online casino providers cannot self-regulate.
The Kansspelautoriteit chair reiterated his warnings from his keynote speech at the Gaming in Holland event last week. Jansen writes:
“There is indignation about the deluge of advertising that has been poured out over the Netherlands.”
As one of the youngest regulated markets in the gambling industry, the Netherlands gave its licence holders certain freedoms like no compulsory limits. Jansen expressed his concern at the Gaming in Holland event that operators continue to fail at their duty of care practices, which may lead to government intervention.
Dutch operators already face stricter advertising laws because of irresponsible approaches to marketing. Speedy realignment with responsible gambling protocols can keep stringent laws at bay.
Testing Boundaries
In previous comments, Jansen explained that the Dutch regulator believed a more liberal approach to gambling regulation could pave the way to success. But, because some operators constantly test the boundaries, the KSA may have been wrong. Jansen writes in his blog:
“This raises the question of the extent to which the sector as a whole is capable of self-regulation and individual suppliers are prepared to behave responsibly. That behaviour should be: not looking to make a quick buck without considering the potentially harmful effects of gambling.”
As mentioned in his keynote speech, Jansen writes that government intervention becomes the natural next step as some licensed providers choose to test the edges of the law. He reminds operators that Minister Franc Weerwind has already implemented tighter regulations with advertising.
Intensified Supervision
With reference to a roundtable discussion at the House of Representatives on 9 June, Jansen explains that although the Dutch market is doing well, everyone needs to do more work for it to succeed. Considering this, the KSA launched intensified supervision of its licensees to measure addiction prevention strategies.
Through the in-depth supervisory study, the KSA seeks to establish how effective Dutch operators are with responsible gambling approaches and protecting their players. The study will measure operator protocols on paper and how they put them into practice. Jansen adds:
“In addition, the KSA will not hesitate to intervene quickly if there is a reason to do so.”
Although his last couple of messages had stern tones with warnings all-round, the KSA chair believes it was the wise decision to legalise and regulate gambling. He reminds the readers that gambling has always been around.
The difference is that before regulations were in place, the risks were higher thanks to illegal gambling. Although it is a work in progress, Jansen believes the regulation of gambling leads to safer options for consumers, and according to him, that is the point.
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