The Dutch Games of Chance Authority announced it is studying the rise in use of gambling apps and its effect on children who play the games.
According to the authority, their ultimate aim is ban the apps from app stores and gambling websites.
The authority points to an increase in play using apps, which are readily available to children. The authority says research shows that early exposure of children to games that stimulate gambling may lead to problematic gambling behavior at a later stage.
The rise in use of the apps—which can be free to play—has led to the authority to find it “of utmost importance to put a halt to the offer of gambling apps and take enforcement actions where appropriate.”
The authority said gambling companies operating the apps, as well as operators of platforms where these apps can be downloaded, should remove both the apps and any references to the apps form their website.
The authority will investigate whether such operators act in accordance with the Dutch Betting and Gaming Act. Initially, the authority will focus on gambling apps with cash deposit and payments, the so-called “real money gambling apps,” it said.
