The proposals are now open for consultation.

The Netherlands.- Proposed new safer gambling measures drawn up by the Netherlands’ minister of legal protection, Franc Weerwind, have been submitted to the European Commission for comment. A standstill applies until May 29 during which time the proposals are open for consultation.

Operators would be required to make contact with players who deposit more than €350 in a month, €87.50 in a week or €12.50 in a single day. The thresholds would be €150 per month, €37.50 per week and €5.35 per day for players aged 18 to 24.

Meanwhile, an amendment to Article 3.19 would require players to input personal bet limits in an empty field, removing the option of pre-set amounts in order to avoid influencing the player’s decision. An amendment of Article 3.5 would require all bets, winnings and losses to be displayed in euros, with the exception of some poker games, where US dollars may be displayed. 

The amendments will be the first since the KOA came into force ahead of the launch of regulated online gambling in October 2021. The text of the amendments recognises that the changes “will place additional demands on the licensee and increase their burdens” but stresses that “the additional demands are necessary to provide better protection for the players and point out the risks of gambling”.

Court ruling could end Dutch lottery monopoly

Meanwhile, East Brabant District Court has ruled in favour of a gambling operator that challenged Nederlandse Loterij’s monopoly on lottery gambling in the Netherlands. The court agreed that the monopoly licence for lottery gambling contravened European law, specifically Article 56 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which bans restrictions on offering services in EU member states. It also agreed that a monopoly system for lottery was not necessary for customer protection given that lottery is considered safer than online casino gambling and sports betting.