Netherlands Gambling Act Review Suggests More Pain for Licensees
The Dutch government’s review of the Netherlands Remote Gambling Act concluded the legislation is failing to achieve its aims of creating a sustainable legal market, raising the prospect of further controls on the industry.
In particular the review, released Nov. 5, concluded responsible gambling measures were simply not up to scratch. The concept of a “duty of care” by licensees towards their players was unfeasible, it said, as operators were motivated to keep players spending and not restrict their play.
“Placing the care for online gambling players in the hands of parties that offer an addictive product and have to compete with each other for market share, which gives them a financial incentive to retain players for as long as possible, has been naïve,” the review said.
Channelization to the legal market was also hindered by a lack of effective enforcement measures to stamp out illegal gambling, the report continued. New tactics that target offshore operators would create space to tighten controls on licensees without losing players to the black market, it suggested.
Ultimately it recommended a single update of regulations, rather than multiple limited updates. Secretary of State for Legal Protection Teun Struycken is reportedly assessing whether this can be done through ministerial orders and policy changes rather than legislation.
Finland Submits Updated Draft Gambling Legislation for EC Approval
Finland’s draft regulations for a competitive online gambling market are to be assessed by the European Commission (EC) after updates expanded the range of legal products.
The biggest change sees horse race betting made available to commercial operators. This previously remained a monopoly product operated by Veikkaus in earlier drafts. Marketing restrictions have been eased somewhat, allowing for offline activations.
Despite reports suggesting the market opening – scheduled for Jan. 1, 2026 – may be pushed forward the EC draft retained this launch date.
Finnish Legal Advisor Antti Koivula described the updated draft as “more business-friendly” than the government’s initial plans.
However it does come with an increase in costs, he warned. “The GGR-based annual supervision fee has been notably increased,” Koivula explained. “It effectively creates an additional tax burden that can exceed 2 percent at certain GGR levels.”
Portuguese Association Steps Up Illegal Market Fight
The Portuguese Online Gambling and Betting Association (APAJO) has filed criminal complaints against a number of online influencers and gaming operators as it steps up efforts to fend off competition from unlicensed gambling.
The five influencers to feel APAJO’s wrath are Numeiro, Cláudia Nayara, ritinhayoutuber, GODMOTA and Bruno Savate. The association has also filed complaints against seven operators; Betify, Monro, Weiss, BC.Game, Stake, Wolfi and Starda and Vem Bet.
The fight against illegal gambling goes beyond the industry, APAJO President Ricardo Domingues said. Media businesses have an equally important role in ensuring unlicensed brands are not promoted to players.
“It is, therefore, very critical that the Portuguese media are clear and accurate with the information provided about the sector, in order to prevent thousands of people from being continually exposed to the risks of betting on unlicensed sites,” Domingues said.
German Re-regulation a “Success Story,” Claims Regulator
Germany’s gambling regulator the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) believes the country’s 2021 State Treaty on Gambling has sparked a successful transformation of the market.
Speaking at the Gaming in Germany conference in Berlin Nov. 5, GGL Chair Ronald Benter told delegates the regulator aimed to ensure “equal and fair conditions of competition” among all licensees while ensuring players were protected. This “sustainably regulated, stable market” meant the State Treaty of Gambling was successfully implemented, he claimed.
The industry is arguing otherwise. Licensees claim restrictions on product and high tax rates mean they cannot compete with unlicensed operators. Industry-funded surveys suggest that almost half of all gambling activity is carried out illegally.
GGL estimates, on the other hand, say Germany’s black market for gambling makes up less than 10 percent of the total market. However, Benter acknowledged the discrepancy, pledging to have different methodologies for sizing illegal gambling scientifically tested as part of an ongoing study on channelization.
He also talked up the importance of collaboration between the regulator and industry. “We are a reliable partner for all interest groups and are working intensively with the associations in order to find solutions together,” Benter said.
Benter was speaking ahead of an upcoming evaluation of the State Treaty, which is due to take place in the next two years. An interim review, released in July, was released around six months behind schedule. The full evaluation is already underway, through initial studies examining the effectiveness of player protection measures and the impact of industry advertising.
“This evaluation is intended to show whether the compromise that led to the political decision to introduce permits for online gambling with a high level of player protection in Germany is sustainable,” he explained. “We want to use facts and figures to make our decisions on a solid basis.”
Gambling Commission Survey Shows Marginal Increase in Young People Gambling
The U.K. Gambling Commission’s (UKGC) 2024 Young People and Gambling report revealed a marginal increase in the number of young people spending money on gambling over the past 12 months.
The report, released Nov. 7, showed 27 percent of young people—aged between 11 and 17 years old—gambled in some form. This represents a 1 percent increase from the 2023 edition of the report.
Most of these were legal for at least some that age range, such as arcade gaming machines including penny pushers and claw grab machines, played by 20 percent of the 3,869 11 to 17 year-olds surveyed.
A further 11 percent placed cash bets between friends and family, while 5 percent gambled for money playing cards with friends or family.
However, 15 percent of those surveyed admitted to gambling on products not regulated by the UKGC. For online there was only limited evidence of underage play. Just 2 percent of respondents said they had placed bets on websites or apps, and only 1 percent played casino games online, bet on esports or gambled on bingo.
This year’s report showed a “statistically significant” increase in young people scoring four or more on the DSM-IV-Multiple Response-Juvenile (DSM-IV-MR-J) psychometric assessment used to identify problem gambling in minors. Any score above four suggests a problem.
Nearly 1 in 10 young people (9 percent) who had gambled over the past year said the activity resulted in them telling lies to family members or friends. A similar number (8 percent) said this had prompted arguments.
A further 9 percent said spending their own money gambling made them feel uncomfortable around friends at least sometimes, while 11 percent had talked to parents about how gambling activities made them feel.
Broadcaster Martin Lewis Launches Gambling Harms Think Tank
The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, a charity founded and chaired by Martin Lewis, a well-known U.K. broadcaster and financial campaigner, has launched a new initiative to bring together financial institutions in the fight against gambling harm.
The Gambling Harms Action Lab will work with current account providers to develop and implement new tools to address gambling harms.
It aims to bring together a group of five to seven financial services to explore and address the common challenges to improving support for their customers. It aims to develop new tools and interventions aimed at improving outcomes for customers in need of help. Building society Nationwide has become the first financial institution to join the research project.
Danish Online Revenue Fails to Stem Market Declines in September
Revenue from Denmark’s gambling market fell 2.8 percent to DKK533 million ($81 million) in September, with a strong performance from online casino canceled out by declines in sports betting and land-based gaming.
Online casino revenue was up 12.1 percent to DKK288 million, with slots making up the majority of this total. Sports betting, on the other hand, dropped 21.7 percent to DKK144 million, despite the country’s soccer league and the UEFA Champion’s League being in action.
The land-based sector also declined across all regulated products. Slot machine revenue fell 4.2 percent to DKK92 million, of which the majority (79.2 percent) came from gaming machines. Casinos’ contribution also declined, 9.4 percent to DKK29 million.
