Compliance Updates

NETHERLANDS DELAYS LEGALISING ONLINE GAMBLING

Published

5 years ago

April 28, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Joy broke out when the Netherlands finally decided to legalize online gambling. It all went south when it was later stated that the market launch for regulated online gambling has been delayed until July 2021. The decision was made to permit the government enough time to create secondary gambling legislation. The country’s Minister of Justice and Security, Sander Dekker, announced the delay to the Netherlands’ lower house of parliament. The amended Remote Gambling Act is now set to take effect on the 21^st of January, 2021.

Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the official Dutch gambling regulation had earlier stated that it would begin to accept online license applications from operators after the enactment of the RGA. These applications would have to be processed for six (6) months before being fully ratified. This has led to the inevitable delay in the online market launch. You can get a full-time experience at onlinecasinohex.nl, where we offer the best of online gambling and casino games.

On the bright side, some legislators tried to move for the absolute ban on gambling advertising. The minister rejected this view. He had this to say;

“…restricting gambling advertising is…not in itself an objective of the current Dutch gambling policy.”

Dekker further stated that placing a ban on advertising would only have negative impacts on the government’s desire to help locally-licensed gambling sites gain traction. He, however, stated that there are plans for the government to strengthen the existing rules on advertising in the Netherlands. Some of these rules include regulated time-frame for advertising through certain media platforms, limited bonus offers, restrictions on behavioral targeting as well as limited celebrity endorsement.

The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) will not be granting the licenses of prospective online gambling operators who have not displayed a functional age-verification system. The government is particularly interested in restricting the participation of under-aged customers to zero percent. The government made this a compulsory requirement after it was discovered in 2018 that underaged customers were easily gaining access to the state-run Nederlandse Loterij’s Toto Sports betting product. The Nederlandse Loterij thereafter upgraded its age-restriction processes. As such, Dekker gives prospective online gambling operators to be at alert. The minister expressly stated that the failure of any company to comply with this will not only amount to the rejection of their license application, but it would attract the full weight of the KSA’s enforcement procedure.

Due to the coronavirus, there has been a national lockdown of all physical gambling venues nationwide. This has left a vacuum in the market. This also has led to a delay in the legalization of online gambling. Ironically, other international online gambling sites have been offering their services to Dutch customers without a license. It, therefore, becomes necessary that so much attention is given to the ratification of the new laws.

CONCLUSION

Technology makes life without physical contactless awful. Everything done physically can be done online. But, the restriction of online gambling activities in the Netherlands would lead to a diversion of local funds to an unregulated international market.

Asia

GRA Renews Singapore Pools Licence for Five-year Term

Published

1 day ago

October 22, 2025

Niji Narayan

gra-renews-singapore-pools-licence-for-five-year-term

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) has renewed the licence of Singapore Pools (Private) Limited (Singapore Pools) to conduct betting operations, gaming and lotteries under Section 54 of the Gambling Control Act 2022 (GCA). The tenure for the licence will be five years with effect from 25 October 2025, following GRA’s assessment that Singapore Pools has fulfilled the requirements under Section 54 the GCA.

The post GRA Renews Singapore Pools Licence for Five-year Term appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Compliance Updates

Euromat Files Complaint Over Croatia’s Gambling Act Amendment

Published

1 day ago

October 22, 2025

Niji Narayan

euromat-files-complaint-over-croatia’s-gambling-act-amendment

Reading Time: < 1 minute

An official complaint has been filed by the European Gambling and Amusement Federation (Euromat) with the European Commission regarding Croatia’s amendments of its Gambling Act.

Under Directive (EU) 2015/1535, member countries are obliged to notify any changes to its Gambling Act through the Technical Regulation Information System (TRIS). According to Euromat, the Croatian government failed to do this when introducing “far-reaching” technical rules affecting access and provision of services on the Croatian gambling market.

Failure to notify constitutes a breach of EU law.

These changes include mandatory player identification systems, strict limitations on the location and layout of gambling venues, a comprehensive ban on online and social-media advertising, temporal restrictions on operation and a central player self-exclusion register.

“This complaint marks an important first step in the EU’s legal process. Complaints such as that filed by Euromat are a key tool to alert the Commission to potential breaches of EU law. Based on Euromat’s complaint, the European Commission will be able to assess the evidence and decide on the next steps, including whether to open infringement proceedings against Croatia,” said Euromat president Jason Frost.

“The notification procedure exists to ensure that national measures are compatible with the principles of the single market. Croatia’s decision to ignore this obligation not only breaches EU law; it also threatens legal certainty for businesses across Europe. The Commission must act decisively to uphold the integrity of the internal market.”

The post Euromat Files Complaint Over Croatia’s Gambling Act Amendment appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Compliance Updates

KSA to Introduce New Licences for Skill-based Gaming Machines

Published

1 day ago

October 22, 2025

Niji Narayan

ksa-to-introduce-new-licences-for-skill-based-gaming-machines

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has announced the plans to offer the option of applying for a limited operating license that only permits the operation of skill-based machines. This will make it easier for operators who only operate skill-based machines to apply for a license.

Request from the market

With this limited operating license, the KSA is meeting a need in the gaming machine market. Operators with only skill-based machines have indicated they would like a separate license, separate from the offering of gaming machines. This limited operating license can have a shorter substantive review process and therefore be issued more quickly.

Various slot machines

At the moment, there is only one type of operating license for gaming machines, which applies to gaming machines in halls and catering establishments and skill machines.

A skill machine is a slot machine:

Which does not award prizes except for extra or longer games; and

Where the course of the game depends entirely or almost entirely on the skill of the player.

A classic example of a skill machine is a pinball machine, where players can win extra balls. Any slot machine that isn’t a skill machine is automatically a chance machine.

More information about the permit application

The Royal Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) will soon provide more information about the application procedure for the limited operating license for skill machines.

The post KSA to Introduce New Licences for Skill-based Gaming Machines appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.