Dutch regulator expects to grant 35 initial igaming licences

KSA expects to initially grant 35 licences when The Netherlands’ online gaming regulation comes into force next month. 

The Netherlands.- The Dutch gaming regulator the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) expects to grant 35 igaming licences when the Netherlands’ online gambling regulations come into force on April 1.

In its annual report, KSA said it expected to receive 40 applications for online gaming licences and to approve around 35. 

Some operators will be unable to apply initially because of the Netherlands’ “cooling off period” for those that were active in the previously unregulated market. 

In an interview with Focus Gaming News, KSA chairman René Jansen said the regulator expected a smooth launch for the Dutch igaming market when it goes live on October 1. 

Jansen said the Netherlands expected to see igaming revenue of $800m for 2021.

Dutch igaming regulation

The KSA’s report also stressed that operators must comply with the new Remote Gambling Act’s rules on addiction prevention and consumer protection. Licensees must check all players against the self-exclusion database (Cruks), the Control Database (CDB) and operators’ own data.

Operators will pay a levy to fund problem gambling support and treatment. The Dutch regulator has recently announced the beneficiaries of the Netherlands’ gambling addiction fund.

KSA annual report

According to the Dutch gaming regulator’s annual report, it collected €8.2m in gambling taxes in 2020, an increase of 12.3 per cent year-on-year. Its revenue from fees fell 41.5 per cent year-on-year to €644,000.

In 2020, it granted 43 permits for slots arcades and denied nine. Ten applications were withdrawn and seven applications were approved after changes.