UK bookmaker William Hill has advised its marketing partners and affiliates that it will block its services in the Netherlands as it prepares for a licensed online Dutch market in 2015. The company will also not accept wagers and players from Dutch IP addresses.
“For regulatory reasons, we are writing to instruct you to discontinue all Dutch-language marketing activities and any other marketing activities which are directed at the Dutch market which promote William Hill,” the statement said. “Please remove all marketing materials which may have formed part of any of the aforementioned activities. This includes any marketing activities in the Dutch language; any marketing activities on websites with Dutch TLD URLs; or any marketing activity related to Dutch sporting events.”
Analysts believe the company does not want to jeopardize its chances of receiving a Dutch online license. Kansspelautoriteit, the Dutch national gaming authority, has asked all remote companies to stop offering online gaming or risk rejection in future license applications.
The Dutch government plans to introduce a new regulatory policy for online gaming in the second half of 2015. Last month the Kansspelautoriteit asked international operators to register their official interest on legally entering the Dutch iGaming market.
Meanwhile, in another move tied to licensing, the company has reportedly tapped compliance experts NMi to test their full suite of online casino games in the UK ahead of new gambling regulations there.
The company said it decided to make an early move to initiate the required testing and auditing that has come from the UK’s new Gambling Act.
