Dutch Regulator Warns Gambling Operators Not to Breach Advertizing Rules

The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has repeated the threats it made before this summer’s football World Cup in Brazil- all online gambling operators and affiliates will get heavy penalties if they breach the advertizing rules and continue to target online advertizing at Dutch residents.

“If online gambling operators that offer gaming products and services to Dutch customers break the new advertizing rules, they risk their chances of being awarded gaming licenses when the new laws take effect next year.”

The Kansspelautoriteit believes that online advertizing aimed at people living in the Netherlands is “excessive” despite the fact that the country prohibited Internet ads. The Authority said that it will continue to monitor and track down any illegal marketing activity in the country. The news comes just a few days after the European Commission proposed a set of recommendations in order to regulate online gaming in its member states.

The Warnings

In June, warning letters were sent to eight online gambling operators reminding them that advertizing online gambling to Dutch residents is illegal in the Netherlands according to the Dutch Remote Gambling Act of May 2013. The message was repeated once again today. The Kansspelautoriteit pointed out that they will continue to monitor all activities associated with online gambling, including betting on Tour de France. The regulator also added that if gambling operators break the advertizing rules, they will be banned and will not be given gambling licenses in the soon to be regulated country.

Furthermore, in a statement, the Dutch Authority specified that all providers of promotional websites that give information about gambling and transfer players to online gambling sites by clicking on affiliate links will be stopped.

According to the new comprehensive rules, the only type of gambling allowed in the state is through the Dutch Lotto. The market is expected to open to both local and foreign operators by 2015. A more liberal licensing regime is not far off in the state.

Earlier today it was announced that Civil servant Joop Pot is appointed by the State Secretary of Security and Justice to the board of directors of the Dutch Authority with effect from November 1, 2014.

Online Gambling in the Netherlands

Even though the Netherlands has a liberal attitude toward soft drugs like marijuana and allows prostitution, the same cannot be said about the subject of online gambling in the state. There are no legal online gambling sites in the country and the government completely controls gambling. The current closed system of gambling legalization in the Netherlands doesn’t allow remote games of chance. However, the Dutch Remote Gambling Act was introduced in May 2013 and it set up the conditions according to which remote or Internet gambling will be allowed in the state.

There is only one land-based casino, Holland Casino which runs 13 properties around the country. The casino is entirely owned by the state and all profits it rises go to the Treasury.