The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Netherlands Gambling Authority, has recently amended its Responsible Gaming Policy Rule, marking significant steps towards enhancing player protection and responsible gaming practices in the Dutch online gambling market.
Implementation dates
The amended policy will be implemented in two phases:
- June 3, 2024: Most of the new rules will come into effect and be published in the Government Gazette[5>;
- October 1, 2024: The remaining parts of the policy, including articles related to analyzing and recording playing behavior and interventions, will be enforced[4>;
Key changes and requirements
The updated policy includes several critical changes:
- Financial Deposit Limits: Providers must implement deposit limits of €300 per calendar month for players aged 18-24 and €700 for players over 24. If a player hits these limits, further deposits must be blocked, and a financial check must be conducted to ensure the player can afford to gamble more[5>;
- Real-Time Monitoring: Online operators are required to detect, analyze, and intervene within a maximum of one hour if there are signals or reasonable suspicions of excessive participation or gambling addiction. This monitoring must be conducted 24/7[5>;
- Interventions: Specific signals for excessive gambling or addiction include financial difficulties, repeated attempts to recoup losses, urgent requests for bonuses, and unusual participation patterns. Providers must intervene promptly upon identifying these signals[5>;
- Advertising Rules: The KSA has also introduced changes to advertising rules as part of the broader effort to enhance player protection[5>;
Consultation and feedback
The KSA extended the response period for stakeholders to comment on the proposed changes, which led to a significant number of responses. These responses were carefully reviewed, and the policy was adjusted accordingly to ensure it meets the needs of both players and providers[4>.
Safe gaming mission and supervisory agenda
The amendments align with the KSA’s ‘Safe Gaming’ mission and its 2020-2024 strategy, which focuses on areas such as duty of care/addiction prevention, combating illegal online offerings, support of partners, and compliance with data provision[4>.
Recent enforcement actions
Recently, the KSA had to intervene in multiple sponsorship violations that failed to comply with the new industry standards, emphasizing the authority’s commitment to enforcing the new policy rigorously[Note: This section is based on the provided context, but the specific details about recent enforcement actions are not fully elaborated in the sources).
