EGBA calls for online gambling regulation in Netherlands

The association supports a new online gambling law proposed by the Dutch Senate.

Netherlands.- The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has voiced its support for a new online gambling law proposed in the Netherlands by Minister Sander Dekker. The law, which was discussed yesterday in the Dutch Senate, aims at modernising the local gambling framework.

The Minister, along with EGBA, urged the local Senate to approve the proposal in the upcoming weeks. Netherlands is currently one of three countries in Europe that doesn’t have a regulation for online gambling, forcing locals to play in a risky environment and leaving the state with no valuable revenue.

In order to protect players, the European Commission (EC) issued guidelines on how members of the union can ensure consistent protection for their online gamblers, and EGBA said that the new gambling law in the Netherlands should be based on that framework. “The introduction of a Dutch online gambling framework is urgently needed. The Netherlands is now one of the few EU countries that does not regulate online gambling – and this situation is no longer tenable,” said Maarten Haijer, Secretary General, European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA).

“Despite the current lack of regulation, recent research[1] shows that 1.9 million Dutch citizens – over 10% of the total population – participated in online gambling last year. These players played on websites which are based in other countries and are neither regulated nor pay taxes in The Netherlands. Online gambling is a popular pastime – but the uncertain policy basis in the Netherlands hurts normal, law-abiding citizens and puts their protection at risk by forcing them to play in an unregulated online environment. In 2018, the Dutch online market was worth €592 million, meaning the Dutch state is also unnecessarily losing about €175 million in tax revenue each year.”

“That is why EGBA welcomes Minister Dekker’s ongoing commitment to modernise the current laws and advocates for the introduction of a well-regulated, multi-license model. For online gambling regulation to be a success, it should be underpinned by a licensing system which is able to attract enough companies to meet the demand of well-educated and internet-savvy consumers. For Dutch people, whether they play poker or like betting on sports, they should be able to find all the products they are looking for with companies regulated in the Netherlands, that pay taxes there and apply local consumer safeguards.

“A licensing model which facilitates this consumer choice will create a better functioning market with players who are properly protected and valuable tax receipts for the Dutch state,” added Haijer.