The Dutch gambling authority has announced recently it will grant thirty five new online gambling operating licenses for the opening up of the industry later this year. Those firms that have expressed interest in operating an online casino in Holland were being processed by the Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit and were notified in the regulator’s annual report that this will begin April 1, 2021.
The new gambling Act cleared the lower house of the Dutch Parliament in 2016. Progress on the new reorganized gambling industry in Holland was delayed by two and a half years by the Senate which finally passed the legislation in February of 2019. The delay has been complicated by the pandemic and is now expected to be launched by October 1st of 2021.
Most of the companies that will eventually receive a license to operate in the Netherlands are part of the international online gambling industry. Defined primarily by the activities of the market in 2020 the Authority said the implementation of the new regulatory framework would become a model for the review of the applicants and awarding of the licenses to approved firms. The revised Games of Chance Act which came into effect back in 1964 before internet gambling had been established will become the Remote Gambling Act ushering in a new era for wagering in Holland.
The KSA or Kansspelautit report claims it will pay strict attention to gambling responsibility ensuring that licensed operators provide proper services to safeguard players from potential harm incurred by excessive betting and the risk of developing gambling related issues.
René Jansen, Chairman of KSA, commented, “work revolves around the interests of the player, of the consumer” and that while “a fair market remains an important objective”, it is “above all a means to allow consumers to play safely.”
Locally licensed operators will also be required to provide the local Control Database (CBD) with data they capture from games enabling KSA to monitor remotely all game systems.
