Eric Konings to depart as interim director of Netherlands Online Gambling Association
Konings said he would leave the trade association in the current quarter.
The Netherlands.- Eric Konings has confirmed that he will step down from the position as interim Director of the Netherlands Online Gambling Association (NOGA) in the current quarter. Konnings took up the role last July to replace Peter-Paul de Goeij, who had served as managing director for six years.
The decision comes as the trade association undergoes a “strategic reorientation”, which will include the launch of a new strategy to promote and represent online gambling operators’ interests in the country as well as changes in leadership.
Konings said: “I will continue to work towards the objectives of NOGA for the remainder of my directorship, but for now, I would like to thank the board for the trust they have placed in me. Thank you, Remko, Sanna, and the rest of the board – it was truly an honour to represent you, and the other members, as director.”
He also referred to the ongoing regulatory changes in the Dutch online gambling market, which faces calls for a complete ban on advertising. Konings said: “The industry faces major political and administrative challenges. The legitimacy of the licensing system is increasingly under pressure, but I remain convinced that such a system is the best way to guarantee consumer protection. I am happy to help organisations navigate this situation.”
The Dutch legal protections minister Teun Struycken is considering further restrictions on online gambling in the Netherlands. Untargeted advertising is already banned, but some MPs are calling for a complete ban on ads, while there are also calls for a blanket loss limit.
The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) announced this week that it is to explore the implementation of new gambling harm indicators. It said new indicators could be used to improve problem gambling prevention and treatment.
At the start of the year, the KSA published a new general fines policy for gambling operators in the Netherlands. The policy outlines guidelines for how the regulator will impose financial penalties on gambling companies in a bid to provide more clarity
