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Sander Dekker, the minister for justice and security of the Netherlands, has said that online gambling operators – local or international – who violate the gambling regulations set by the Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) will have to face at least a temporary suspension.
That means the gambling operators booked by the KSA would be ineligible to run their service in the country for an unspecified time.
The KSA had proposed to ban the sanctioned operators permanently. But the ministry diluted the stance, citing the possible plight of Dutch punters who would be prevented from accessing reliable gambling operators.
However, speaking at a Thursday meeting of the Permanent Committee for Justice and Security, Dekker said that, while a permanent ban would be “legally disproportionate” to sanctioned operators’ alleged crimes, the KSA should nonetheless develop a policy that excludes sanctioned operators from the regulated market for a yet-to-be-determined period.
The KSA has never been shy about imposing six-figure financial penalties on what it deems to be online rogues serving Dutch punters without KSA approval. The past few months have seen additional fines levied against the Dutch-facing divisions of Bet-at-home, Betsson AB and MRG. Both Betsson and MRG are appealing their penalties.
The Dutch government is currently conducting an open consultation on its Remote Gambling Bill, with interested parties invited to submit their thoughts, critiques and desires by November 6. The Christian Democratic Appeal party, which had previously expressed opposition to liberalizing online gambling, has reportedly softened its tone after the Bill was tweaked to include new consumer protection measures, which will hopefully ensure swift passage whenever the Dutch Senate gets around to a floor vote.
Source: CalvinAyre
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