Dutch govt closes potential underage gambling loophole

The government has closed a loophole in regulations that could allow minors to place bets.

The Netherlands.- The Dutch government has taken steps to close a loophole in regulations that potentially allowed minors to deposit funds in gambling accounts and place bets. The loophole had been identified by the national gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA).

While it stressed that no examples had been observed of the loophole being used by minors, some operators were allowing players to deposit funds from a bank account other than their own. The Netherlands’ new minister for legal protection Franc Weerwind confirmed that the KSA had addressed the issue with operators, who will remove the payment method.

Weerwind also referred to an issue with Holland Casino’s online offering that allowed players logged into the account of a player with the same last name to link their own payment details. He said Holland Casino has resolved the matter.

Weerwind said: “When creating a player account, the identity is established and verified, among other things by means of a check on the Citizen Service Number. In addition, a player must identify himself every time he or she wants to access his player account, for example by means of username and password.

“In addition, only money can be deposited with a payment account that can be unambiguously traced to the person of the player. This minimises the chance that a minor can actually play with a licensed provider.”

Meanwhile, MPs have been pushing Weerwind for a ban on untargeted gambling adverts to stem what they describe as a “barrage” of advertising since the regulated online market went live at the start of October.

Last month, the KSA warned online gambling licensees to improve the targeting of online advertising following a backlash from the public and politicians. It warned all licence holders to “pay special attention” to ensure gambling ads are not seen by “vulnerable people such as minors and young adults”.