The Netherlands launches new responsible gambling policy

The Netherlands’ gambling authority Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has changed its Responsible Gaming Policy with the goal of tightening regulatory control. 

According to the updates, additional clarity has been brought to the ‘real time monitoring’ responsibilities of operators, together with a new clause for financial deposit limits.

For example, if an operator determines that a player “can no longer bear the financial consequences of their player behaviour”, the Board of Directors must interfere if the following cases occur within a calendar month:

A player cannot make a deposit on their gaming account due to insufficient balance;A player makes net deposits that make up more than the recreational part of their monthly net income;A player makes net deposits that make up 30% or more of their monthly net income;A player between the ages of 18 and 24 makes net deposits of more than €300;A player over the age of 24 makes net deposits in total more than €700.With gambling providers obligated to ban further deposits for the remainder of the calendar month if one or more of the amended policies are met, the financial deposit limits will guarantee that extra safety nets are in place to discourage compulsive gaming.

The advertising code for licensees has also undergone some modifications. As per the new guidelines, licensees must now designate an impartial risk analyst to evaluate the degree of conformity of the promotional material with addiction prevention requirements.

The revised policy is now effective immediately after being published in the Dutch Official Gazette. However, because of required IT adjustments, several provisions, such as the financial deposit restrictions, are anticipated to take effect on October 1.