Novamedia exits Dutch online gambling market
The operator of the Netherlands’ Postcode Lottery says stringent rules make the market unsuitable.
The Netherlands.- The company that runs the Netherlands’ Postcode Lottery has handed in its licence to operate online gambling in the country. Novamedia BV says that the increasingly stringent rules in the Dutch market have “made online gaming unsuitable for generating funds for our charitable causes.”
That appears to be a reference to the upcoming ban on untargeted gambling advertising, which is expected to be implemented by July 1. The ban covers gambling advertising on TV, radio and in public places. Sports sponsorship will also be banned at a later date.
Novamedia gained a Dutch online gambling licence in March last year and launched an Evolution Gaming-powered casino suite. The Dutch gambling authority Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has already removed it from its list of licensed igaming operators.
The company will continue to operate Postcode Loterij. It says it will invest in innovation in its retail product but that it “will not invest further in online gambling opportunities in the Netherlands for the time being.” Its Vriendenloterij brand has recently extended its sponsorship deal with the football club Ajax FC.
