GiH Newsletter: Roundtable participants share position papers ...and more!
Especially selected for you: the latest in Dutch and international gaming news.?
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Gaming in Holland Conference announces headline speakThe 2025 Gaming in Holland Conference, which will take place June 5, 2025, at the KIT Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam, is proud to announce its first confirmed speakers.?
We are very happy to welcome the following key decision makers to our speaker line-up:?
Recently, Teun Struycken, State Secretary for Legal Protection, announced a far-reaching revision of the Dutch Remote Gambling Act, with follow-up discussions taking place in the Dutch Lower House later this month.??
This means that there will be plenty to discuss during this year's GiH Conference.??
Early bird registration is now open: https://bit.ly/GiHC2025. Don't miss it!?
Leaders in Compliance Conference: 10 keynotes + 30 breakout sessions?
With compliance becoming ever more important in regulated markets, a high-level, Europe-focused event specifically dedicated to compliance-related topics is long overdue.?
The Leaders in Compliance Conference, which will take place May 8-9, 2025, at the Hilton Frankfurt Airport Hotel, is intended to meet the demand for a dedicated, in-person gambling compliance event.??
The Leaders in Compliance Conference will be attended by senior compliance experts from leading European operators.??
Confirmed speakers include Dr. Birgit Bosch, Director of Group Compliance at Tipico; Ewout Keuleers, General Counsel at Unibet; Corinne Valletta, General Counsel Betsson Operations; and many more!?
The Leaders in Compliance Conference is being organized in close cooperation with compliance experts Chevron Consultants.?
In addition, we are extremely grateful for the support of the European Gaming & Betting Association, VIXIO Regulatory Intelligence, H2 Gambling Capital, and Compliance+More.?
Early bird registration is now open: https://bit.ly/LiC2025. Don't miss it!?
Netherlands Gambling Authority fines Costa Rica-based operator €900,000 for offering illegal online gambling?
The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has imposed a €900,000 fine on Costa Rica-based Sarah Eternal SRL for illegally offering online gambling in the Netherlands through its Casinosky website.?
Among the additional violations identified by the Dutch regulator were the absence of age verification, the option to gamble using cryptocurrency, inactivity fees, and autoplay.?
Sarah Eternal was previously issued a conditional penalty payment by the Netherlands Gambling Authority.??
In related news, the Dutch regulator has concluded an investigation into sports betting tip platform Analyse Master, finding no violations by licensed gambling operators.?
In addition to providing football insights, Analyse Master and its associated Telegram channel are referring users to gambling operators using advertising featuring role models – something which is prohibited by Dutch law.??
Two Netherlands-licensed operators who were linked with Analyse Master ended their association after becoming aware of the platform's actions. Because of this, the Dutch regulator found that neither operator had violated regulations.?
The Netherlands Gambling Authority currently lacks the authority to take enforcement action against platforms such as Analyse Master, KSA Chair Michel Groothuizen said.?
Netherlands illegal gambling traffic grows sharply, KVA report shows?
An investigation by the Quality Mark Responsible Affiliates ( Keurmerk Verantwoorde Affiliates (KVA) ) shows that web traffic originating in the Netherlands to illegal gambling websites is increasing sharply.???
Searches for “casino without limit” grew significantly following the introduction of monthly deposit limits in October 2024.??
Overall search traffic for 72 selected domains associated with illegal gambling surpassed the one million mark in March of this year.??
Former problem gambler featured in AI-manipulated gambling ad?
A former gambling addict who shared her story on the risks of online gambling with Dutch regional broadcaster L1, found herself being featured in an AI-edited gambling ad in which she (falsely) appeared to promote an illegal gambling app.??
Although the ad circulated on social media for only a limited time, thousands of people appear to have downloaded the promoted illegal gambling app, L1 reported.??
The woman has filed a police report.??
Dutch court orders Unibet to repay former player?
The District Court of The Hague has ordered Unibet to repay the losses of a former player incurred during the period 2018-2020.??
In line with similar rulings, the court found that the prohibition on online gambling rendered the contractual agreement between player and operator null and void.?
The court declined to await the response of the Netherlands’ Supreme Court to several general prejudicial questions related to individual player claims.?
Trimbos Instituut pleads wants higher age limit for all gambling products?
Trimbos-instituut (Netherlands Institute for Mental Health and Addiction) is arguing for a higher universal minimum age limit (21) for all gambling products – not just high-risk games of chance as proposed by State Secretary Teun Struycken.?
Stricter rules and stricter enforcement by the Netherlands Gambling Authority could prevent young players from moving to illegal alternatives, Trimbos states. ?
Roundtable participants share position papers?
Next week, on March 19, the Permanent Committee for Justice and Security of the Dutch Lower House will host a roundtable discussion on gambling policy.??
Various stakeholders, including the regulator, operators, trade bodies, addiction experts, and others have been invited to participate in the discussion.?
All invitees have shared position papers in advance of the roundtable discussion.??
Among participating operators, there is broad consensus that the current gambling tax rate is too high and that a further increase would significantly hurt the economic viability of the regulated gambling market. Notably, Holland Casino argues that a further increase in the gambling tax rate cannot be reconciled with a safer gambling offer.??
Several operators are arguing that a combination of legal advertising and stricter enforcement against illegal offers is necessary to ensure sufficient online market channelization.??
The Netherlands Gambling authority maintains that legal offerings must be sufficiently attractive to compete with illegal alternatives, and that enforcement against offshore operators is difficult and, overall, not particularly effective.??
The WODC, an independent knowledge institute under the umbrella of the Ministry of Justice and Security, notes that a growing number of young adults engage in online gambling, and that a disproportionate percentage of online gamblers, young adults in particular, are engaging in high-risk play.??
Addiction care experts, including the National Rapporteur on Addiction and Verslavingskunde Nederland, predictably plead for additional restrictions, including a full ban on gambling advertising and a higher minimum age for high-risk games of chance.?
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