It is a pretty well-known fact that the Netherlands is a country where drugs and prostitution are legalized, and the government hasn’t put strict rules on these sectors. But the situation with online gambling is oppositely different. And only recently, this exciting industry has become legal.
This life-changing moment has happened in the recent past. But the roots lie in the previous century when gambling was only gathering pace.
The historical background of online gambling in the Netherlands
Going back to 1964, the Netherlands’ government issued the Betting and Gaming Act (Wet op de kansspelen), which has laid the foundation of gambling in the country and regulated this activity even today. Over thirty years later, there was one more significant shift that gave birth to “Game of Chance Decree” (1997), “Slot Machine Decree” (2000), “Slot Machine Regulation” (2000). But all of these secondary legislations of the Act were focused on the land-based sector, excluding online gambling.
In 2016, the government considered the issue of the online segment. Therefore, the legalization of the lottery took place, and the online sector became legally available in 2017.
It is all happening due to a clear understanding of the further potential of the industry for the country and its perspectives. However, the government wasn’t going to act quickly and put many restrictions related to the online segment of gambling.
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Legal online gambling in the Netherlands
Starting from 1 October 2021, it’s possible to enjoy online gambling in the Netherlands to the full extent. However, a casino operator should obtain a license from the regulatory institution first, in this case – from Kansspelautoriteit (KSA). This authority makes sure that all online platforms, which operate within the Netherlands’ market under this jurisdiction, follow all the set rules and don’t go beyond the frames.
The essential document that regulates the online gambling sector and guides of getting a license is the Remote Gaming Act (the first online gambling framework in the Netherlands) under the jurisdiction of KSA. Following the rules of the act properly, all gambling operators are allowed to operate in the country. But they should follow specific requirements to meet further success.
According to the information from the KSA’s website, most of the requirements focus on preventing gambling addiction and advertising the unlicensed online casinos and their games. All of these measures are conducted to make online gambling safe and prosperous for the country and its citizens.
The future of online gambling in the Netherlands
The opportunity to grant licenses to both offshore and local gambling platforms is a good sign for the further and prosperous development of the online gambling industry. This moment indicates the willingness of the country and its government in particular to create even more space for extension. Although the gambling rules and laws in the Netherlands are strict, the government puts much effort into finding a balance that will help players not to become addicted and the companies to exist while having profit.
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