Dutch minister questions lottery promotion on mental health site

The charity MIND has removed promotion of the Dutch National Lottery from its site following criticism.

The Netherlands.- Sander Dekker, the Dutch minister for legal protection, has asked the national gaming regulator de Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) to look into promotions of the national Nederlandse Loterij and the charity lottery Vriendenloteri on a website belonging to a mental health charity.

MPs Mirjam Bikker and Pieter Grinwis of the Christian Union had asked the government to provide answers to several questions on the matter after promotion of the two lotteries on MIND’s website was highlighted in a report on the investigative journalism outlet Follow the Money. MIND has removed the promotions.

Dekker said he hoped KSA would pay attention to the matter and take action if needed.

He said: “I can imagine it at least raises questions as to why an organisation that aims to improve mental health and support people with mental health problems and their families promotes lottery buying on their website and connects it directly to mental health.”

Meanwhile, Dekker has dismissed claims that the Dutch lottery encouraged more people to gamble through its marketing. He said it aimed to channel people who gambled already to licensed offerings.

He said: “It is not the case that government policy for the lottery is to encourage as many people as possible to gamble. The Dutch Lottery should be able to advertise to get players to the legal offering.”

Nederlandse Loterij is one of ten operators who gained licences to launch online gambling in the Netherlands when the newly regulated igaming market opened on October 2.

Several other major operators, including Entain and Kindred, have started blocking Dutch customers as they prepare applications for licences.