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Dutch Regulator Reports on Substantial Drop in Illegal Wagers
By Shane Addinall Mar 31, 2022 IndustryAlongside their annual report for 2021, the Dutch regulator issued a state of affairs related to the newly regulated remote gambling industry. According to Kansspelautoriteit, the facts point to a bright future.Kansspelautoriteit published its annual report for 2021, which includes the first quarter of its regulated market. According to the Dutch regulator’s Chairman, Rene Jansen, the country is on the right track, and results show that a regulated market counteracts illegal gambling.
Jansen refers to the significant decline in illegal casino usage and explains that this was the end the regulator had in mind. The KSA Chair commented:
“People who want to gamble online should be able to do so in a safe, regulated environment.”
The Netherlands launched its regulated online gambling market on 1 October 2021 with 18 licensed operators. KSA recently confirmed that companies who opted for the cooling-off period to acquire a Dutch license may continue their applications from 1 April.
More Dutch Punters Gambling Legally
As promised by the Dutch Minister for Legal Protection, the Netherlands issued a report on their first three months of legal online gambling. Although this European market is still in its forming stages of regulating remote gambling, figures indicate a bright future for the Dutch. Rene Jansen mentions the fact of the young regulated market and reminds readers to consider this when interpreting the report.
Since 1 October, the 18 licensed platforms registered 634,000 player accounts. Jansen expands on this by mentioning that this does not translate to the same number of active gamblers. The KSA chair explains that some players - an undetermined number - hold many accounts with several providers. Jansen states that details of this nature need an explanation to avoid panic in the absence of clarity.
This is an important insight, according to Jansen, because predictions showed approximately 1 million Dutch players gamble online occasionally. A more recent survey estimated 1.8 million players gamble online in the Netherlands. Jansen believes the hard evidence shows the estimates were exaggerated, but more importantly, more than half a million players moved away from illegal sites.
Dutch Punters Gambling a Little Longer
KSA’s annual report shows how gamblers in the country suddenly spent more time on online platforms from the day their market opened. Jansen believes this is because of increased awareness and ascribed this increase to extensive media coverage of the Dutch market launch preceding the event. Since the launch, lawmakers motioned for stricter advertising regulations, and operators vowed a more responsible approach in their marketing strategies.
An integral part of the newly regulated Dutch market is their player protection scheme, and central to this is CRUKS. The Central Register of Exclusion of Games of Chance offers gamblers a place to sign up for self-exclusion. In the six months of its existence, the register received 10,000 registrations. Jansen writes they can only accomplish such a feat if the legislator and key stakeholders are committed to creating a safe gambling environment.
One of the key outcomes mentioned in the annual report is the sharp decline in the number of hours spent on illegal websites. The KSA gives two likely reasons for this. Firstly, Dutch punters can choose licensed platforms from 1 October and secondly, many unlicensed operators withdrew from the jurisdiction.
Wisdom in Time
With insights based on such a short period, Jansen cautions that a clear picture of the country’s regulated gambling market and how successful it is will take time. The coming months may include the launch of major brands in the jurisdiction as the cooling-off period expires.
Gross Gaming Revenue for the fourth quarter was €185 million. This, in combination with current facts, leads us to believe that The Netherlands is on the right track, but only time can tell.
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