Dutch Senate passes Gaming Act
The Act was passed by the Senate and now paves the way for iGaming regulation that would open the doors to foreign operators.
Netherlands.- The Senate of the Netherlands discussed on Tuesday the Remote Gaming Act and voted in favour of the measure that allows foreign and Dutch firms to apply for licences to operate in the country.
The new legislative framework will be turned into law through a Royal Decree as Senators from several political parties voted in favour of the measure. It is believed that licences will be issued from mid-2020 and operators will be required to develop responsible gaming strategies to offer high levels of player protection. Operators will be taxed 29.1% of their gross revenue, according to the Gaming Act.
The vote comes two and a half years after the lower house voted in favour of allowing third parties to offer online gambling in the coutnry. Holland Casino is the only state-regulated company that offers its services, but a country with no firm legislation has suffered foreign firms targetting Dutch punters in the past.
Dutch Minister for Legal Protection, Sander Dekker, said: “We see that society is digitizing, and more than half a million Dutch people are participating unprotected in online gambling currently. This involves big risks such as gambling addiction and fraud,” he continued. “I am happy that we can now offer players a secure system in which games of chance can be played online in a responsible manner.”
The European Gaming & Betting Association (EGBA) welcomed the gambling approval as it said that it is an important step to establish a functioning market in the country because it brings the Netherlands into line with 25 other EU countries who already regulate the activity.
Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA, said: “We welcome the introduction of the law which will finally bring gambling regulation in the Netherlands into the 21st century and congratulate Minister Dekker on his efforts and commitment to regulate the sector. Online gambling is popular in the Netherlands and the current situation is neither justifiable nor tenable – because 1.8 million Dutch people are gambling online without regulatory protection under Dutch law. Our message is simple: it is in the interests of everyone to have a well-regulated market which protects players.
“We now look forward to working with the Dutch Gambling Commission, De Kansspelautoriteit, to ensure an effective implementation of the new rules in a timely and consumer-friendly way.”
