KSA chair wants greater protection for players at land-based casinos and arcades
René Jansen says land-based gambling venues were not doing enough to monitor players.
The Netherlands.- The chairman of the Dutch gambling regulator KSA has said that more responsible gambling controls are needed at land-based gambling venues. Speaking at the Casino Operations Summit in Amsterdam, he said the KSA’s inspections were working against unlicensed operations but that regulated land-based venues needed to do more.
He said: “Previously, we were mainly involved in actions by partners such as municipalities or the police. Our inspectors now focus more often on their own investigations. This is paying off. We are already seeing the results of these actions in practice: the number of reports to our information line of illegal bingos, lotteries and poker tournaments is steadily increasing. And that leaves you wanting more.”
He said that land-based operators are not doing enough to monitor players and prevent excessive play, noting that he had observed during his own visits to arcades that none imposed maximum time limits despite some being open 24 hours a day. He said that all the venues he visited also allowed players to place bets on more than one machine at the same time, and some had no limits on how many machines a player can use.
Measures at land-based gambling venues
Jansen said that the national self-exclusion register Cruks was not being used efficiently at land-based gambling venues since some have open entrances with no controls. He also believes more training is needed on how land-based venues can register players.
“Compare it with the bartender at a café. His regular chat with regular guests is also a form of social control,” Janse said. “We also see regular visitors in arcades. These are precisely what should catch the eye of employees. For them, a long playing time is seen as normal, while it is actually a signal of excessive gambling.”
Jansen suggested that land-based venues should pay more attention to the length of players’ sessions and the number of machines they use. He also said the KSA wanted fewer payments by credit card and called for more “smart arcades” with cashless play to allow player metrics to be monitored more easily.
Also during his speech, Jansen acknowledged the recent vote to ban online slots in the Netherlands. He said: “No fewer than 10 motions were adopted by a majority of the House of Representatives. This also included motions that outgoing Minister Weerwind advised against. Some of these motions could have far-reaching consequences for the regulation of the online gambling market.”
He added: “It is clear, the view of a majority of the House of Representatives on the regulation of the online market has clearly changed. And what the future will look like is still unclear. We now have to wait and see what Minister Franc Weerwind’s response will be.”
Jansen also noted that the Dutch government needed to address legal challenges to the country’s remaining gambling monopolies. The East Brabant District Court recently questioned exclusive rights held by Nederlandse Loterij.
He said: “I cannot anticipate the discussion that will take place about this in the Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Council of State, but I can comment on it in a few words. In the judiciary, the penny can always fall either way, so prepare yourself for both outcomes.”
Jansen will stand down as chairman of KSA on October 1. He will be succeeded by Michel Groothuizen.
