The Netherlands launches campaign against fraud related to online gambling

Concerns have been raised in parliament about match-fixing via social media.

The Netherlands.- The Dutch minister for legal protection, Franc Weerwind, has announced a multi-year campaign against fraud connected with online gambling. He said the digital resistance effort was a response to concerns raised in parliament about match-fixing via social media.

He made the announcement in a response to SP, CDA and Christian Union MPs who raised questions about news reports alleging that social media influencers were defrauding victims via Telegram by helping to promote fake sports results. Weerwind said there was no evidence of match fixing but said he had concerns that fraudsters were targeting young people. He said the new campaign will promote messages that aim to educate young people to recognise scams and offers that are too good to be true.

Weerwind noted that it is already illegal for gambling operators to use role models that appeal to young people. He said: “Fraud and inciting people to commit criminal acts is harmful and also punishable. In this case, it comes under the guise of ‘making quick money through sports betting’. The so-called manipulated results are purchased from the scammers on Telegram and paid for via cryptocurrency.

“People are being scammed. Awareness about and recognition of online scams by citizens can help prevent that.”

There have been calls for the Netherlands to tighten gambling legislation. One party has even called for the Remote Gambling Act that introduced regulated online gambling in 2021 to be overturned.

Weerwind said: “I have already made adjustments within the given legal frameworks and will continue to do so. For example, I banned the use of role models as of June 30, 2022, and untargeted advertising for online gambling as of July 1, 2023. Addiction prevention is central to my policy efforts.”

The Dutch gambling regulator, KSA, is to test how to increase awareness of the Cruks self-exclusion service among different target groups. Meanwhile, a new education programme will be introduced for schools next year.

The KSA last week announced that René Jansen will not serve another term as the regulator’s chairman. Jansen reaches retirement age at the end of the year and will not stand for reelection to continue after his current six-year term ends on October 1, 2024. A proposed resignation date has been set for July 1, 2024.

Earlier this month, the KSA reported that the growth of the Netherlands‘ regulated online gambling market appears to be levelling off. The number of active licences to operate on the market has grown from an initial 10 upon opening to 27, following the launch of LeoVegas.