The Netherlands has been struggling for years to finalize the Dutch Remote Gambling Act. And the end of its fight is near.
The Netherland government has agreed for the Dutch Remote Gambling Act to come into force as of March 2021. This act allows operators to offer their services to players in a legal way, but also for new online casinos to set foot on the Dutch market.
The ongoing status
Before the Netherlands government decided to update its views on the gambling policy, the gambling industry in this country depended on the law that was drafted in 1964. For more than 50 years, the Dutch people were left to wait for the new law to be passed. This means that even after online casinos began conquering the market, the Dutch still had to obey the law from the ‘60s when the Internet didn’t even exist.
The virtual world started being too tempting when virtual gambling is concerned, and the Netherlands began to saw an increase in illegal online betting and gambling. This is why it decided to act and gain some control over the online gambling industry in the country. So, in 2019 the Dutch Senate approved the Remote Gambling Act.
What happens in March?
March 2021 is the month that most Dutch online players are looking forward to. After the Remote Gambling Act comes into force, all online providers can apply for a license. However, this doesn’t mean that they will become fully operational. All online casinos must wait for six months from the moment they apply for a license in order to go live. Therefore, in September 2021 all Dutch online players of legal age will be able to access a top online casino where they can enjoy their favorite casino games like poker, baccarat, roulette, slots, and more. However, the Dutch want to protect their online casino players. So, they have included a series of restrictions into the law that will enable them to have better control over the situation after March.
Important additions to the new law
Even though the Netherlands is about to make a significant step towards embracing online casinos, its strict approach towards the industry will somewhat still be felt. The best example is all the details in the new act that put the player’s protection above anything else.
Any type of casino in the Netherlands, online or land-based, will use a central register. This register will contain all names of all players along with their social security number.
What is more, the player is allowed to leave the gambling website at any given moment. And the online operator is forbidden to send any promotional material to that customer ever again.
All new players will go through the age-verification procedure if they want to sign up. This is an extra layer of protection so that minors wouldn’t have any access to gambling websites.
The new law has a very strict policy when it comes to all marketing strategies. In this way, all online operators are allowed to promote their website, without unnecessary spamming of those who aren’t interested to play.
In any case, this is a big year for online casinos in the Netherlands, since from this year on they can expand their offer to local players. And the Dutch casino fans will also be able to explore new companies that will surely enter the market as soon as it becomes available to them.
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