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What The End of the Dutch Cooling-Off Period Means for Players
By Shane Addinall Mar 03, 2022 IndustryRemote gambling platforms finally see the light as KSA confirms the cessation of their regulatory cooling-off period. Reviews of the paused applications commence on 1 April and compliant platforms may soon offer legal bets.Punters from The Netherlands may soon have their pick of the litter with online gambling platforms, as the Dutch Regulator confirms the end of their contentious ‘cooling-off period’. The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) announced that the voluntary exclusion for potential licensees expires on 1 April 2022.
Some of the biggest names in the igaming industry bowed out of the unregulated Dutch market for their chance to obtain a KSA license once the market opened. The exclusion period of 2 years and 9 months prohibited platforms from actively targeting Dutch punters to curb unfair advantages for certain providers.
From 1 April, the KSA will review all existing applications from operators who took part in the cooling-off period. The regulatory body will assess whether these applicants offered illegal games of chance during the said time frame, and beyond. Those who apply after 1 April will not be subject to a cooling-off period.
Dawn is Breaking
The Netherlands became a regulated online gambling market on 2 October 2021, but some of the largest gambling platforms were in the pool of excluded applicants. Kindred Group, Betsson, Entain and LeoVegas all opted in for the cooling-off period as a precursor to their Dutch license applications.
Following Minister Sander Dekker’s instruction on blocking Dutch punters completely, these platforms now stand in line for the review of their license applications. The Dutch Minister for Legal Protection changed the original terms for applicants a month before the market launch. He advised the KSA to discard the cooling-off terms and pushed for a full-on ban.
At first Dutch punters had less than a dozen options within the group of licensed platforms, ranging between sportsbooks, online casinos, and lottery. Since October, three more operators joined the coveted KSA Licensee club. A month from now, the regulator sets out to review all existing and new applications based on their past transgressions, or lack thereof.
The Proof is in Eating the Pudding
The biggest determining factor for a successful license application is the operator’s involvement with Dutch players before the regulated market launch. Dutch Senate adopted the Postema Motion while discussing the Remote Gambling Bill and this triggered the call for exclusion. KSA now plans to investigate whether any unlicensed online games of chance targeted or accepted Dutch punters.
In their press release the KSA stipulates:
“As of April 1, 2022, we will give more weight to illegal online games of chance and in any case, all illegal online games of chance up to 8 years ago will be taken into account.”
Presumably, all 13 of the current KSA license holders took wagers from Dutch punters for the first time ever when their licenses came into effect. To the regulator, this meant a level playing field and platforms gaining players from a clean slate. With the senate arguing that distinction should exist between platforms that did not target Dutch players and those who did regardless of the unregulated market, only time will tell which of the sin-bin operators attain KSA licensing.
More Safe Gambling for Dutch Punters
This year, European spring brings new beginnings for license applicants and punters alike. KSA continues with the application process from 1 April onward meaning, soon Dutch players will experience a greater variety in choice for online gambling platforms.
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