The Netherlands Online Gambling Association (NOGA) has had a mixed reaction to the State Secretary’s proposed revamp of the Remote Gambling Act.
NOGA, which serves as an industry advocate group, released a statement backing proposals to counter gambling-related harm and tackle the growth of the illegal gambling market, which it claims is now greater in size than the legal gambling market.
Could Legalization of Crypto Gambling Solve the Netherlands’ Black Market Problem?
Gambling with crypto generally does not fall under the regulated umbrella in Holland.
Cryptocurrency exchanges are permitted in the Netherlands and are regulated by the Dutch Central Bank (DNB). The gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), took action against crypto casino Freebitco.in at the tail-end of last year after it was found to be offering gambling to residents without a local license.
Investigations undertaken by the KSA found that Dutch users could register, deposit, and gamble. If the order to cease operations was not adhered to, the operator could have faced fines of €280,000 per week, up to a maximum of €840,000.
NOGA’s Response to the Netherlands’ Gambling Reforms
Eric Konings, Director commented: “The members of NOGA stand for a safe and responsible gambling offer. That is why we support the idea of no longer just putting addiction prevention at the centre of gambling policy, but striving to prevent gambling-related damage. Gambling should be a source of entertainment, not a source of problems.”
“We are also pleased to hear that combating illegal supply is given more priority. We have been expressing our concern about the size of the illegal market for some time, and the figures published today by the Gambling Authority show that every euro that is betting in the Netherlands is now used by half of illegal providers. The supervisor indicates that they need more resources to make a fist against this, and we hope that they will get their hands on it,” added Konings.
NOGA was less sure about the plans to raise the legal gambling age in the country to 21. It said: “The increase of the minimum age to 21 years can further strengthen the flight to the illegal market that is currently underway.” It added: “We await further elaboration of this before we can give a detailed response.”
The overall reaction could be seen as a net positive. The statement concluded that NOGA remained committed to ensuring attractive, safe, and responsible gambling for Dutch residents.
The reaction comes after Struycken and the government revealed a few of their sweeping plans to shake up the Dutch gambling industry. The State Secretary for Legal Protection said: “The most important starting point for me is to protect all citizens from gambling-related harm. In doing so, I go beyond preventing addiction, and I also look at other damage that participation in games of chance can cause, such as debt.”
Per reports, a draft revamped Remote Gambling Act is expected to be read by Dutch legislators before the end of 2025.
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