The Dutch authorities is making ready to introduce vital reforms to its playing legal guidelines, with new laws anticipated to take impact by the tip of 2025. Led by State Secretary for Legal Protection Teun Struycken, the proposed modifications intention to strengthen participant protections, significantly for youthful and extra susceptible people. One of probably the most notable updates consists of elevating the minimal playing age for high-risk video games to 21, alongside stricter promoting controls and enhanced regulatory enforcement.
Raising the Minimum Age for High-Risk Gambling
A key part of the proposed laws is the rise within the minimal age for taking part in high-risk playing actions, resembling on-line slots, from 18 to 21. Struycken emphasised that younger adults are significantly vulnerable to drawback playing and monetary difficulties, making the change vital to present stronger safeguards. “It is necessary to protect all people, especially those who have not yet come into contact with gambling or who have stopped gambling. In doing so, I focus in particular on minors and young adults,” he said in a letter to parliament.
The transfer follows suggestions from the Scientific Research and Data Centre (WODC), which discovered that youthful gamers are extra seemingly to have interaction in dangerous playing behaviors. Research indicated that 18% of younger grownup gamblers exhibited high-risk patterns, in contrast to simply 1% of the overall playing inhabitants.
Stricter Deposit Limits and Affordability Checks
In addition to elevating the playing age, the Dutch authorities is ready to impose overarching deposit limits throughout all playing platforms. This initiative goals to forestall extreme losses and make sure that gamers don’t bypass limits by playing on a number of websites. Players who want to exceed their deposit cap will want to endure an affordability evaluation to confirm they’ll maintain greater playing bills with out vital monetary danger.
Current laws already impose limits of €300 for gamers aged 18-24 and €700 for older gamers. A latest examine revealed that because the introduction of those measures, the variety of younger adults exceeding deposit limits dropped from 12% to 2.8%. However, issues stay that stricter deposit insurance policies might drive high-stakes gamblers towards unregulated markets.
Tighter Advertising and Operator Oversight
Gambling-related ads within the Netherlands are already closely restricted, with a blanket ban on TV, radio, and public areas. Online advertising is proscribed to people aged 24 and older, and superstar endorsements are strictly prohibited. The new legislation goals to additional curb playing promotion, guaranteeing ads don’t disproportionately enchantment to younger audiences.
Operators will even face stricter responsibility of care necessities, compelling them to take extra proactive steps in figuring out and helping gamers vulnerable to gambling-related hurt. The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Netherlands’ playing regulator, will likely be granted extra powers to crack down on unlawful playing operators. These measures embrace the power to block unauthorized web sites and impose greater penalties on non-compliant license holders.
The Shift in Gambling Policy and Its Implications
The upcoming reforms symbolize a serious departure from earlier Dutch playing insurance policies, which traditionally positioned better emphasis on particular person duty. Originally launched in 2011, the prevailing laws have been criticized for failing to adequately shield gamers, significantly with the rise of on-line playing.
As Struycken defined, “For me, the most important starting point is protecting all citizens from gambling-related harm. In doing so, I go beyond preventing addiction and also look at other harm that participation in gambling can cause, such as debts.” This shift in method mirrors comparable regulatory actions in different European nations, resembling Ireland, which not too long ago launched stricter playing legal guidelines centered on lowering hurt amongst younger gamers.
Industry Impact and Next Steps
For licensed playing operators within the Netherlands, the proposed modifications will necessitate main changes. Companies will likely be required to implement stricter age verification methods, implement deposit caps, and guarantee advertising practices align with the brand new tips. The KSA’s enhanced enforcement powers will even place better strain on operators to keep compliance, with a newly launched penalty system imposing greater fines for violations.
The Dutch authorities expects to current a draft invoice by March 2025, with full implementation focused for the tip of the yr. Meanwhile, discussions proceed on whether or not sure measures, resembling expanded responsibility of care obligations and extra promoting restrictions, ought to be launched sooner.
While some business representatives warn that heightened restrictions might push extra gamers towards the black market, policymakers stay dedicated to tightening laws so as to foster a safer playing atmosphere. The Dutch authorities’s newest initiative displays an rising international development towards prioritizing participant safety over operator flexibility, guaranteeing that playing stays a managed and controlled exercise inside the nation.
Source:
Fundamental change of course in gambling policy, rijksoverheid.nl, February 14, 2025.
