Under the Netherlands’ Remote Gambling Act, third parties such as family members, employers, or gaming operators will have the ability to request the addition of individuals to the Cruks exclusion register.
Starting from October, when the Dutch online market launches, all players must be checked against the Cruks exclusion register by operators.
The KSA recognizes that including a third party on the self-exclusion register is a significant decision, and has carefully detailed the procedure in its policy rules.
One condition for registration on Cruks is that it must prevent further damage to the player, whether it’s financial, social, or personal.
The regulator emphasizes the need for less drastic measures to prove ineffective in reducing harm before resorting to involuntary registration.
The process begins with a request from a third party to register a player on the self-exclusion register received by the KSA.
Applications may be submitted electronically or by post and must include an explanation of the third party’s relationship with the player and the motives for requesting exclusion.
The regulator conducts an investigation into the player’s gambling behavior, assessing the damage in terms of financial loss, personal damage, and social damage.
Involuntary registration with Cruks represents the final step in a staggered intervention model, following the use of less invasive intervention measures by operators.
If an operator’s measures do not effectively prevent problem gambling, and if the player disregards advice to voluntarily register with Cruks, the operator should apply for involuntary registration.
Any player who is involuntarily added to the Cruks register has the opportunity to share their view in writing and orally.
The Dutch government outlined the mechanisms behind Cruks in October 2020, which is accessed through the DigiD system.
When a player registers with an online operator or wants to access a land-based casino, they enter their public service number to generate a Cruks code.
This code is then compared to the list of codes for self-excluded players to determine if the player should be allowed to register or enter.
Cruks applies to both the land-based and online sectors.
