Björn Fuchs to chair Dutch online gaming body VNLOK
Fuchs will replace Helma Lodders as the association’s chair at a critical time for Dutch online gambling.
The Netherlands.- VNLOK, the Licensed Dutch Online Gaming Providers’ trade association has named Björn Fuchs as its next chairman. He will step into the role vacated by Helma Lodders, who has decided not to seek reelection at the end of her current term.
Unanimously elected, Björn Fuchs is chief digital officer at Fair Play Casino. He will continue to work there after he takes up the chairmanship of the VNLOK on May 1.
Lodders, who is an MP for the.People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) has held the position since August 2021, when the body was founded two months before the launch of regulated online gambling in the Netherlands.
The change in leadership comes as operators raise concerns about the rate of channelisation to the regulated market in the Netherlands. The national regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has called for more powers to take enforcement action against unlicensed operators after reporting a drop in regulated gambling revenue in the second half of 2024 amid the introduction of new default deposit limits at licensed offerings.
The KSA says it has had 20 unlicensed gambling apps removed from app stores in the Netherlands since the start of the year. At the same time, VNLOK has been seeking to avoid the possibility of even tighter restrictions on advertising for the regulated sector. In March, Lodders presented the association’s views during a government round-table discussion on its proposed reforms of Dutch gambling legislation, which also include a possible increase in the minimum age for online slots.
Lodders said her aim as chair of VNLOK had been to ensure a secure gambling environment. She said: “I have enjoyed the role of chair since the foundation of VNLOK. It was a period of political and social turbulence. At the same time, I have always kept the goal in mind: to work on a safe, reliable, and controllable market with the right care for vulnerable players.
“Now that my term is ending, the time has come to pass the baton. I thank my fellow board members for the trust they have placed in me. I have every confidence in Björn Fuchs as my successor.”
Fuchs said: “The board is grateful for the way in which [Lodders] has given substance to our association with integrity and with her skills and strength. The board therefore expresses its appreciation for the efforts that Helma has made since the foundation.
“I look forward to my new role as chair with pride and confidence. I will get started with great enthusiasm and, together with the members, will commit myself to the importance of a well-regulated online gambling market.”
