Companies show interest in Dutch online gambling licences

The Dutch regulator KSA has reported that 79 companies are interested in online gambling licences so far.

Netherlands.- The Dutch gambling authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has revealed that 79 companies have indicated that they are interested in an online gambling licence to operate in the local market. The registration for a Dutch gambling license opened on June 5.

The KSA said that companies have until Friday, June 21, to indicate that they’re interested in a permit, and they have to do so by filling a form. This is part of a licensing process that the KSA is currently setting up in the contact of the new Remote Gambling Act.

Current regulations, adopted on February 19, 2019, establish that it is not possible to apply for a licence to offer online games of chance, though online gambling is legalised. The new law is set to change this. The Ministry of Justice and Security is currently drafting the law into so-called lower regulations. When that process is finalised, the gambling regulator can start setting permit conditions.

If the Netherlands manages to process permit applications from July 1, 2020, there is a big chance that the online gambling market can be fully operational by the first day of 2021, René Jansen, chairman of the regulator said.

The KSA said that in order for the licensing process to run smoothly, it is important that it knows how many applications it can expect in the future. “Everyone will soon benefit from a smooth process. If we know how many applications we can expect, we can organise the process accordingly. That is in our interest, but also in that of the applicants,” said Jansen.