Franc Weerwind, the minister for legal protection, acknowledges the need for change in the Dutch online gambling industry. Recent data from the Dutch regulator indicates that players are at risk due to inconsistent monitoring by online licensees. In response to these concerns, Weerwind is committed to adjusting rules and implementing additional measures. He plans to submit the necessary regulations for consultation in early next year.
The evaluation of the Remote Gambling Act in 2024 will also assess the effectiveness of addiction prevention measures within the law. Weerwind emphasizes that it is too early to judge the overall success of the approach and states that he will closely monitor the impact of various activities. While he is dedicated to combating gambling addiction, he believes it is unrealistic to completely prevent addiction from occurring.
The safeguarding strategy is being questioned by members of the senate factions D66 and the Party for the Animals (PvdD). They are particularly concerned about the protection of vulnerable groups. Weerwind highlights that a significant number of individuals under the age of 25 (23% of the 45,787 registered in the self-exclusion scheme) are part of the at-risk population. To address this issue, a KSA campaign will be launched in the autumn, aiming to increase brand awareness of the self-exclusion scheme among different target groups.
Additional initiatives include the development of a program by the Trimbos Institute to identify and provide guidance for young adults exhibiting risky or problematic gambling behavior. This program will be implemented in schools from 2024. The KSA and the ministry of health, welfare and sport are also working on awareness activities for specific target groups, while the consumer-facing Geldfit financial advice body is developing a pilot program related to gambling debts, scheduled for release in the first half of 2024.
Jellinek, an addiction advice body, is reassessing its provision of gambling services. The government-funded e-learning program for frontline professionals offered by Jellinek is considered outdated and it will be determined over the next 12 months whether alternative means are required. The KSA has pledged to strengthen its own duty of care policies and recommend legislative amendments to ensure a more level playing field among operators, who have requested a more uniform interpretation or clarification of certain standards.
