The chairman of the Netherlands Gaming Authority Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), René Jansen, spoke to members of the industry and warned of future volatility in the governance of online gaming, Lottery Daily reported April 24.
The chairman, who will give over the job to a new chairman, Michel Groothuizen, told delegates of the Casino Operations Summit in Amsterdam, “The gambling sector has received a lot of attention, especially since the opening of the online market.” This summit primarily concerns itself with brick-and-mortar gaming.
Jansen was in charge of the launch of the online gaming market under the Remote Gambling Act (KOA Act), which is being heavily criticized by members of parliament.
Recently the Kamer, the Netherlands’ House of Representatives, voted to approve motions supporting a ban on online gaming ads and “high-risk” gaming, such as online slots.
Jansen referred to that vote: “Last Tuesday, no fewer than 10 motions were adopted by a majority of the House of Representatives. This also included motions that outgoing Minister Weerwind advised against. Some of these motions could have far-reaching consequences for the regulation of the online gambling market.”
Such a vote doesn’t guarantee this will become law, but the chairman warned, “It is clear the view of a majority of the House of Representatives on the regulation of the online market has clearly changed. And what the future will look like is still unclear.” The next step is to hear Weerwind’s response, said Jansen.
Jansen said he is proud of what KSA has done in overseeing Dutch gaming since 2019. The next step in gaming reorganization will be to address policies and the legality of monopolies on such things as lotteries.
Nederlandse Loterij (NLO) continues to argue that it should have exclusive rights for games of chance. A district court has ruled that KSA should grant rights to others wanting to offer lottery games. KSA has appealed.
Per Lottery Daily, Jansen said, “I cannot anticipate the discussion that will take place about this in the Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Council of State, but I can comment on it in a few words. In the judiciary, the penny can always fall either way, so prepare yourself for both outcomes.”
