The Dutch government has published the revised gambling policy, following the “Vision on Gambling” policy paper. In here, it announces its intention to tighten current laws, as well as regulations and implement more measures to better regulate online gambling specifically.
The original 2011 Vision on Gambling places great emphasis on the personal responsibility of players and providers. The Dutch government says that this gambling policy offers insufficient protection against the risks of online gambling. Research shows that the number of people gambling online has increased since 2021, when the online gambling market legalized.
Moreover, the number of high-risk and problem gamblers is increasing, especially among minors and young adults. As a result, they published a new Vision on Gambling, focusing on stronger protections against gambling risks. It aims to safeguard both active gamblers and those who have not yet encountered games of chance. The new Vision includes measures to enhance player protection.
In the revised Vision on Gambling, the new measures proposed include the following.
First, the age limit for the highest-risk games of chance will increase from 18 to 21 years. However, it is not yet clear which games of chance this concerns.
Second, the duty of care of legal providers of online games of chance will be clarified and further tightened. Providers must stick to stricter rules to protect players. Independent experts must participate in implementing this duty of care.
Third, a financial capacity test will introduce an overarching deposit limit. Players will have a single limit for deposits and losses across all gambling providers, which they cannot increase without passing the test. They will register and monitor their playing limits.
Fourth, they will introduce a “no, unless” prohibition to further restrict advertising for remote games of chance. They will also consider bonuses and promotional games of chance when limiting advertising.
Fifth, expansion of the powers of the KSA or Dutch Gaming Authority.
