In light of a recent Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruling concerning the EU notification requirements for draft gambling legislation, the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) reiterates the importance of the EU notification procedure when member states introduce or amend their national gambling regulations.

“Proper notification of draft gambling regulations to the European Commission is essential for good policy making and to allow for any proposed changes to national gambling frameworks to be scrutinised for their compatibility with EU law. The TRIS notification procedure facilitates transparency and allows for potential EU law compatibility issues to be identified before national regulations take effect,” said Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA.

“An effective TRIS procedure also relies on the European Commission to actively scrutinise all incoming notifications, which it has not been doing consistently in recent years. We’re confident, however, that the new Commission’s emphasis on the enforcement of EU law will lead to it stepping up its efforts to ensure draft national gambling laws are adequately scrutinised for their compatibility with EU law,” added Mr. Haijer.

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As the European gambling market evolves, consistent application of the Technical Regulation Information System (TRIS) notification procedure by the Commission and member states becomes increasingly important for regulatory coherence across the EU. The notification procedure exists to ultimately support member states in developing effective, proportionate gambling regulations that achieve their public policy objectives while remaining compatible with EU law.

Source: EGBA

The Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) has published its annual report for 2024. In the report, the Authority provides a comprehensive overview of the state of affairs on the Dutch market.

The safety of the player remains the most important core point for the KSA. In the new strategy 2024-2028 that was published in 2024, the player will be given an even more central role. That is why a new responsible gaming policy was introduced in 2024, with deposit limits to protect players even further. The Online Duty of Care team was also established and consumers were made aware of the risks of gambling with various campaigns.

In 2025, the KSA will continue with a team that focuses specifically on addiction prevention. In this context, the Gambling Counter will be further professionalised and, among other things, there will be continuous attention for the Gokstop (also known as the Cruks deregistration register) and the Gambling Counter with consumer campaigns.

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In order to better protect players, it is also essential to gain more control over the illegal market. In 2024, steps were taken in this area, for example by tackling influencers and newspapers that promote illegal gambling sites. In 2025, this work will continue, including tackling the infrastructure around illegal providers. To this end, the KSA has advocated at the ministry and in politics for new powers, such as the ability to black out illegal websites. Revision of the advertising regulations is also an important instrument that the KSA advocates, so that advertising by illegal immigrants and third parties can also be tackled more effectively.

The figures in the annual report show, among other things, that the legal online market grew by 4.9% last year. That is significantly less than in 2023, when the market grew by 28.9%. The size of the lottery and betting sector grew by 5.8%, a slight increase compared to 2023, when this sector grew by 3.5%. The number of player seats at physical casinos and gaming halls shrank again in 2024.

A 15-day public hearing period on Thailand’s draft Entertainment Complex Bill has received an overwhelmingly positive response, with more than 80% of respondents approving of the plan and many even suggesting an easing of rules around locals entry and gaming floor space.

Documents summarising the findings were published by the Ministry of Finance on Monday, revealing a total of 71,289 people responded with 80.75% agreeing with the general entertainment complex plan.

According to the Ministry, recommendations stemming from the public’s feedback include altering a requirement for locals to hold at least THB 50 million (US$1.5 million) in a fixed deposit account for not less than 6 months in order to gain casino access because limiting the customer base would directly affect investment.

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“There should be a proper reason why it must be THB 50 because … investment in this business will not be able to occur,” the Ministry’s summary of responses reads.

It also notes several alternative suggestions from respondents, including a reduction in the deposit amount to THB 10 million and allowing other assets such as land and stocks to be included, or reducing the deposit amount to THB 5 million but increasing the income condition.

“The minimum deposit requirement may be an excessive restriction on personal rights. Other options should be considered, such as setting maximum gambling limits and providing information and knowledge about responsible gambling,” the summary states.