Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), which regulates gaming in the Netherlands, has imposed new gambling deposit limits which will be enforced as of Oct. 1, Yogonet reported June 4.
This includes a deposit limit of €300 ($325) for players 18-24 years old and €700 ($760) for players over the age of 24.
The June 3 policy change, which was published in the Netherlands’ Official Gazette, is part of an amended Responsible Gaming Policy Rule whose intent is to make for a safer environment for vulnerable young people.
According to the KSA, the changes are a “major step” in promoting responsible gaming among young people. The grace period allows the hiring of new employees to oversee the new rules.
Operators will be required to conduct financial checks whenever young people deposit more than €300 and when players older than 24 deposit €700 or more.
Further deposits can be blocked during that month if the player can’t afford the amount. Exceptions can be made for professional poker players taking part in tournaments.
The new policy also requires real time, 24-7 monitoring of player behavior, and requires operators of land-based and online gaming to intervene within an hour of detecting possible harmful activity. Such activity might include extended hours of play (more than six hours a day), continuous wagering and repeated deposits.
According to the Official Gazette: “With this policy rule, the Gaming Authority aims to further flesh out the laws and regulations that apply to the recruitment and advertising activities of license holders and to the addiction prevention policy and its implementation by license holders, where applicable.”
Last year KSA conducted a study of duty-of-care practices of six licensed operators. It found that they did not always intervene in a timely manner with players engaged in risky behavior. This, combined with other amendments, such as the ban of role models in gambling advertisements, led to the new policy, which included a new round of consultations and responses from 33 operators, trade associations and addiction experts.
The government is also considering raising taxes on gambling from 30.5 percent to 37.8 percent. Lawmakers in April voted to ban online gambling ads and “high risk” online gambling such as slot machines.
