Legislation
The Netherlands – Dutch online market to open in January 2021
By Phil - 6 June 2019
The Dutch Gaming Authority Kansspelautoriteit is aiming for its Remote Gambling Act to come into effect on 1 July 2020. It said that permit applications could then be processed from that date with the market for online games expected to open from 1 January 2021.
René Jansen, Chairman of the Ksa made the announcement during the annual conference of the Gaming platform in Holland. He emphasised that managing the licensing process in the context of the Remote Gambling Act would be a priority in the coming two years.
The Remote Gambling Act, which was adopted by the First Chamber on 19 February 2019, legalises online gambling under strict conditions. Under current legislation, it is not possible to apply for a license to offer online games of chance. That will change with the new law. The Ministry of Justice and Security is currently drafting the law into so-called lower regulations. When that is ready, the Ksa can draw up permit conditions.
Mr. Jansen said: “Such an operation demands a lot from an organisation the size of the Ksa. But we will do everything in our power to get this done. If we don’t make it through with the permanent staff, we will hire external staff. ”
The intention of the law is to create a safe, legal online gambling offer. By granting a license to reliable companies, conditions can be set and supervision can be made at the same time. The Ksa is given additional powers by law to be able to tackle illegal online offerings.
Mr. Jansen: “It is important for the Ksa to know how many permit applications we can expect in the future. This allows us to properly organise everything. We have an interest in that, but that also applies to companies that are going to apply for a permit.”
